


With Three There Is Never Just You and Me

by tumblruserpailylove



Category: Glee
Genre: Best Friends, Cheerleaders, F/F, Gay Panic, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Nerdiness, Pack Sleepovers, Popularity, Sister-Sister Relationship, Softness, Taunting, Triplets, because the fabray parents are super religious, brittany and quinn are the popular girls, but it sorts itself out, but not in a gross way, cheerios, dana and santana cause trouble, dating your friends sister, i can't remember sorry, it's kind of a cluster fuck, obviously this is au, oh yeah i forgot there's a little bit of homophobia, rachel and charlie are friends, teasing but not in a sexy way, the fabray triplets, there is like a weird 6 way friendship here, uh i don't think there's any sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 103,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tumblruserpailylove/pseuds/tumblruserpailylove
Summary: What's worse, dating your sister's best friend, dating a loser at the bottom of the social ladder, or dating your best friend's ex? The Fabray triplets are about to test boundaries in all three. Can love and sisterhood both prevail?





	1. Three's a crowd, six is a mess

**Author's Note:**

> (Just moving my old works from ffnet to here)  
> (I have not re-read or edited any of my old works so sorry if they're horrible)

Everyone wants to stand out, be different, be noticed. What little kid doesn’t want all the attention from their parents? It starts in us when we are young and carries through our entire lives. We want to feel special, want to feel like there is something about us that makes us noticeable to the world, or maybe just noticeable to the right people or person. It’s not easy in this world to stand out but it’s been nearly impossible for Quinn her entire life. When you’re part of a trio who look exactly alike no one wants you to be an individual. They want you to dress the same, act the same, and marvel at what a freak of nature that a set of triplets is. It can get annoying.

Quinn Fabray is the middle child in a set of triplets and her and her sisters have been competing for attention since the moment they were born. Dana, the oldest by three minutes, and Quinn actually fought over who was going to be born first, or so the story goes. If we had the technology to look back to the three of them in the womb there is no doubt Dana and Quinn fought over food even though it’s pumped directly into their stomachs via umbilical cord. The two of them fight a lot, over everything. At least, they used to. Then they hit high school and things kind of changed. For the better in Quinn’s case, at least if you ask her, and, well, most would say Dana had a bit of a back slide.

Then there’s Charlie. Sometimes people forget she’s one of them because although she shares the exact DNA that is where the similarities end. She is quiet, calm, and willing to be in the background. She’s sweet, kind, and caring. Everything Quinn pretends to be to get what she wants and everything Dana has forgotten how to be. For the three of them, being triplets definitely stops at the looks because you will never find three less similar siblings on the face of this earth. Well, maybe. Maybe they aren’t as different as they seem. 

“Ready for lunch?” Brittany asked with a smile as Quinn put the last of her textbooks away in her locker, giving it a light slam closed.

“Always” Quinn smiled, turning to head toward the cafeteria with her friend in tow. Lunch was always a spectacle at this school. If a jock wasn’t picking on a nerd, then there was a break up, a mass outrage over the menu choice, or some sort of prank being pulled. The prank was usually pulled by Dana and Santana. Those two didn’t know what the world behave meant.

“Oh fishsticks” Brittany read as they walked into the already crowed and loud lunch room. It was Friday which meant the electricity was already soaring in the air. The school was just two classes and whatever after school activities away from the weekend. 

“Thank goodness I packed my lunch” Quinn mumbled as she gripped her brown paper bag a little closer to her chest as if someone might come steal it. She absolutely hated fish, not that fishsticks were actual fish, but still. The thought of putting anything with the word fish in her mouth made her want to hurl. “I’m going to go sit with the girls, I’ll save you a seat!” With that, Quinn turned and headed to the cheerleader’s table. It’s where she and Brittany always sat. They were, after all, cheerleaders. Santana was too, but she could never be bothered to join the group. Sometimes Quinn wondered why Santana bothered with the squad at all.

Freshman year the three of them had decided to join the Cheerios together. It would help Quinn individualize herself from her sisters and set the three best friends up to rule the school. What was the one thing everyone learned from high school teenage movies? The cheerleaders are popular and everyone likes them. Since Quinn, Brittany, and Santana were pretty much inseparable, they would all need to be popular. They would do whatever it took to get to the top and stay there. They were going to rule the school, together. No one would stand in their way.

The plan had worked pretty well, too. Freshman year they had taken over the squad and by the end of it Quinn had been next in line for captain, once the senior girls graduated. It pissed a lot of the junior girls off but she didn’t care. She had earned it and the others could just go screw themselves.  As their Freshman year ended and they prepared for domination their Sophomore year, things never looked better. Everything was going according to plan.

Then something happened over the summer. Quinn still doesn’t know all the details because every time she asks she either gets tears from Brittany or a threat from Santana. All she knows is that Santana and Brittany went from being really close to hardly talking. Quinn wasn’t stupid she knew there was more than just friendship there. It never bugged her, though. It probably should have, being raised in such a devoutly Christian home, but it didn’t. It was comforting, actually. Two of her best friends finding love in each other. At least, she thought it was love. Obviously it hadn’t been and now her two former best friends hardly spoke. It was alright, though. Quinn got Brittany in the break up which was nice. She wasn’t the smartest, but she was loyal and easily convinced that the malicious acts they might partake in were for the common good of them all. By “them all” Quinn definitely meant herself, and Brittany most of the time.

“Hi girls” Brittany bounced over to the table of cheerios and sat next to Quinn with a smile “Look, Q, the fish sticks are shaped like real fish!” She picked one up, giggling a little before looking at it closer “Now I know you don’t want to die and you are totally cute, but I’m super hungry today because I didn’t have breakfast. I fed my poptart to the birds while I was waiting for Quinn to pick me up this morning because they wouldn’t stop yelling at me. So” Brittany gave a kiss to the fish shaped faux fish meat and shrugged “I love you but I’m sorry. Survival of the fittest you know.” With that, she bit off its head and chewed with a happy grin on her lips.

Quinn smiled a little at the bubbly blonde next to her. It was endearing how innocent she still was, even after whatever had happened with Santana over the summer. She still had a heart of gold and the outlook of an eight year old.

“Q” A girl next to Quinn whispered softly to her, giving a nudge to get her attention. The girl pointed over her shoulder and as her eyes followed the point they fell upon a rather grungy looking, pink-haired, mismatched clothes wearing girl strutting into the side door from the outside. Dana. No doubt she had just been outside smoking prior. Such a disgusting habit, Quinn thought.

“Just ignore them” Quinn said in a fake unbothered tone as she turned back to her own lunch. Leftover bacon and tomato sandwiches from the night before. No complaints here, Quinn loved bacon more than anything. 

“Why does she have a fire extinguisher?” Another of the cheerleaders asked, obviously still watching Dana’s entrance into the lunch room. “Santana has one too.”

“What?” Quinn turned around quickly and sure enough the two girls had fire extinguishers in their hands and smirks on their faces. This was heading nowhere good and getting there quickly. “Shit” Quinn mumbled under her breath when it became obvious the girls were headed right her way.

“Well if it isn’t my hot shot sister and her hot shot friends.” Dana’s tone dripped with disdain as she eyed the table of drones she so lovingly called Quinn’s bitch army. Except Brittany. Her eyes skirted right over the bubbly blonde next to her sister and landed back on the head bitch herself. “How’s lunch, sis?”

“It was better before you showed up. The obvious fact you haven’t showered in three days is over taking our breathing space. If you would please take your body odor and bad hygiene somewhere else, we are trying to eat.” Quinn was clenching her jaw, eyes focused on her sandwich. Why did she have to be cursed with a sister who was content on making her every day Hell? And why wasn’t she showering?

“Cute” Dana lifted a boot clad foot and stomped it down right on the bench next to Quinn. She leaned her elbow on her knee and gave her sister a smile “Look, I have a real problem, sis. Did you know it was fire awareness week this whole week and not once was there a fire that I was aware of?”

“What is your point?” Quinn asked with a roll of her eyes, finally putting her sandwich down and turning to glare at her sister.

“My point is that since there were no fires I should do my part to prevent them by putting out anything I deem to be a hazard to the safety of our school and its sweet, naïve students.” Her eyes shifted and she looked at Brittany who was on her other side. She gave a smile and lifted her arm, sliding it around the girl’s shoulders and giving her an awkward half side hug that was more violent than polite “Like Britt here. We wouldn’t want her getting burned now would we?”

“Again, what is your point Dana?” Quinn snarled, reaching out to push at her sister’s arm “And get your disease ridden arm off my friend. Who knows what disgusting muck you have built up on that unwashed arm of yours?”

“Cute” Dana said again before pushing off from the bench and standing upright again “My point is, oh loving sister of mine, that Santana here and I have decided that the biggest fire hazard here is you and your bitch army.”

“Oh please” Quinn rolled her eyes. The girls around the table looked a bit confused at the exchange. “Everyone here knows you’re most likely to start a fire in this school.”

“Not with your hot head” Dana snapped. Her hands worked quickly and soon she had the hose of the extinguisher pointed at Quinn. Santana had circled around Quinn and was now pointing the hose at the other girls. A quick nod was given from Dana and triggers were pulled.

A scream was heard and Quinn quickly batted the hose away from her face as Santana doused the other cheerleaders with the white foaming spray. Dana’s nozzle, however, had been redirected and the blast of cooling foam had landed on an unsuspecting victim who had just been walking by at the wrong time. Rachel Berry.

Dana gasped when she saw the shorter girl standing there like a snowman, covered in white and frozen in place. Her lunch was ruined and the only thing that gave away who it was under the foam was the plaid skirt poking out near the bottom of the white dripping foam.

“Well that works” Dana said with a victorious smirk as she stood back and admired her work. It was a piece of art and if she didn’t get her sister at least she got her sister’s best friend. Other sister, but still just as satisfying.

“Girls” Sue Sylvester stood behind Dana now, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed over her white drenched cheerios. The only ones having gone unscathed were Quinn, Brittany, and Santana. Some of the girls were crying while others had run off to clean up. “Smelly Fabray, what have you done this time?”

“It wasn’t me” Dana said with a shrug as she stuffed the extinguisher behind her back and turned to face Sue.

An un amused look took over Sue’s features as she looked at the pink-haired punk then back to her girls. “Santana” She shook her head a bit “And what is your excuse this time?”

“It wasn’t me” Santana mimicked her friend with a challenging smirk on her lips. She didn’t even bother to hide the extinguisher behind her back. She was definitely not afraid of Sue like she had been freshman year.

With her patience tested, Sue looked down at sweet little Brittany and gave a smile. She knew the blonde still feared her. “Brittany, what happened?”

The bubbly blonde bit her lip and looked around. All of her friends were covered with extinguisher goop, their eyes pleading with her to tell the truth. Quinn gave a nod of encouragement for her to do the right thing. Then her eyes fell on Santana and for a split second she almost lied. The look in Santana’s eyes made her want to cry. She looked almost sorry. But Brittany had learned that Santana was never sorry. She sighed and looked up to Sue, shrugging her shoulders and pointing at Dana “Her and Santana came up and said Quinn and the cheerios were fire hazards so they had to put them out.”

Sue nodded and grabbed Dana by the ear, pointing at Santana and motioning for her follow “I swear if I have to take you two to the principal’s office one more time this year I am going to lock you in my trophy closet, together, and let you suffocate on this punk’s armpit stench.” Sue’s ranting could be heard all the way out of the cafeteria and down the hall as she hauled the two girls to Figgin’s office for the third time that week.

“Good job, B” Quinn said with a smile, the other cheerleaders thanking her as well before they decided to go get changed before their next class started.

“What happened?” A soft voice came up behind Quinn now, the girl focusing on Rachel who was standing nearby trying to wipe the white off of her animal sweater. Charlie shook her head at the sight of her best friend covered head to toe in foam, sighing as she grabbed some napkins to help out.

“Thanks” Rachel mumbled through some tears. The crying helped, it kept the chemicals out of her eyes even though they were still clamped tightly shut.

“This is all Quinn’s fault” Charlie sighed, trying to clean Rachel’s face so she could open her eyes. Even when angry she was calmer than most people in their most relaxed state.

“It was Dana” Rachel mumbled, spitting now into the trash can. “And I kind of think it was an accident.”

“Nothing is ever accidental with those two” Charlie rolled her eyes, wiping now at Rachel’s hair. She would definitely need to shower as soon as possible.

“Should we help?” Brittany asked with a frown as she watched the two girls cleaning up the mess Dana had made.

When Quinn looked over her shoulder and saw her younger sister hunched over helping Rachel her heart skipped a beat. For a moment she felt bad. Then she remembered she shouldn’t and shook her head “Nah, she’s used to it. Rachel Berry has had every substance known to man thrown on her. It’s only sophomore year, too. She is going to have a rough rest of high school.”

Brittany frowned again and shook her head “I’m going to help. She is your sister, Quinn, and your sister’s best friend. You should be nicer to them.”

“Just like Dana and Santana are nice to everyone?” Quinn shook her head, rolling her eyes “No way, B. Those two are social suicide. But if you really want to go back to the bottom of the pyramid, be my guest.”

“I don’t care” Brittany shrugged before getting up and heading over to the girls. She offered a smile and a helping hand, trying to wipe Rachel clean as she melted over a trash can.

Quinn sighed and watched from the background for the rest of lunch. She kind of did want to be there, helping, but she couldn’t. She had worked so hard to get where she was and stepping down to be nice to a geek like Rachel? It would be shooting herself in the foot. Sure she was related to Charlie but people seemed to take pity on her over that and it actually helped her popularity. Both of her sisters did, actually. It seemed people thought it was a miracle that Quinn could be head cheerleader and be so normal when both her sisters were such outcasts. It was one thing she could thank her sisters for although, honestly, she never would. Popularity was everything and if that meant she was a bitch, then so be it. At least she was happy. Well at least she let people believe she was.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Did you manage to get Rachel cleaned up?” Quinn asked as she met up with Brittany at their lockers after the last bell of the day.

“Yeah, then I borrowed her some of my clothes.” Brittany said with a shrug, not looking at her friend as she gathered a few books into her back pack. 

“Are you made at me?” Quinn rose in an eyebrow as she watched her friend huff about next to her.

“I’m not mad, Quinn. It wouldn’t have killed you to help, though.  I helped and I haven’t been slushied or made fun of all day. Maybe people don’t care as much as you care.”

“People care.” Quinn mumbled as she shut her locker. She waited for Brittany to do the same then the two girls were off down the hallway.

They walked until they met up with Charlie and Rachel near the doors. The three sisters shared the car and today Quinn had driven. She pulled out her keys and looked around, rolling her eyes “Has anyone seen Dana? I would really like to get home sometime before darkness falls.”

“I hope she got expelled” Rachel mumbled under her breath.

Quinn bit back a snide remark only because, well, she kind of hoped that too. Instead of agreeing, though, her gaze lingered on Rachel a bit longer than it should have.

“Hey Charlie” Santana came stalking up the hallway from behind, sliding her arm around the third sister with a smirk on her face “I didn’t catch you in chemistry last period, were you avoiding me?”

“No, I was helping Rachel clean up the mess you and my delinquent sister made of her.” Charlie spoke calmly, though irritation rose in her voice, and she gently stepped to the side so Santana’s arm slid off and away from her. She pushed back a loose curl that had fallen out of her side braid and stepped closer to Rachel.

“I’m not a delinquent. Delinquents serve time and I’m too slick for that. I get out of everything, even detention.” Dana was grinning from ear to ear at that as she joined the group, her arm wrapping heavily around Brittany’s shoulders. She did that a lot, Quinn noticed. Almost any time they were in the same area. Poor Brittany had to deal with her stench.

“Are we all here then?” Quinn asked with a roll of her eyes. The Fabray’s were the oldest of the group and the first to get their driver licenses. Since the S.U.V. their parents had gotten them as a joint 16 th birthday present fit seven it was a daily event of carpooling to and from school.

“Shot gun!” Dana yelled, pulling Brittany along with her as the group headed out the doors and into the parking lot.

“I’m driving you idiot that means my best friend gets shot gun which means Brittany gets it.” Quinn curled her lip as they reached the vehicle, reaching out and once more peeling the arm off Brittany’s shoulders. “And would you please stop rubbing your sticky arm all over her.” Dana backed off with a roll of her eyes as Quinn unlocked the doors and made sure Brittany got in front before she went around and climbed into the driver side seat.

Dana climbed into the back row of the seats and sat right in the middle, spreading out so no one could sit by her. That was fine by Santana, she wanted to sit by Charlie anyway.

“So Chuck, you coming to my place tonight to catch up on what we missed in chem? I took great notes today.  I can tutor you on chemistry all night if you want?” A smirk was planted on Santana’s lips as her arm slid around Charlie and her fingers found one of her long loose blonde strands and started to twist it around her knuckle.

“No thank you. Rachel has that class third period I will just get the notes from her.” Charlie scooted away the best she could but with the three of them in that row of seats it wasn’t very far. 

Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed at Santana’s hand until it was off Charlie “She isn’t interested, Santana, how many times does she have to tell you?”

“I’ve never actually heard her say it, hobbit, so until she does the door is open.” Santana hissed the words at Rachel, folding her arms across her chest.

“Don’t give up, buddy” Dana leaned forward from where she sat behind them, a hand on Santana’s shoulder “She will give in eventually, won’t you Charlie? All my sisters are whores.”

“Says the biggest whore of them all” Quinn piped up from the driver seat where she had been silently trying to navigate to Santana’s house as quickly as possible. “Leave Charlie alone, both of you. If she wants to be a quiet freak who hangs out with Berry, let her.”

“Oh gee, knight in shining armor” Charlie mumbled with a roll of her eyes that looked a lot like Quinn’s. “I can take care of myself, Q.”

“Ignore them” Rachel said softly, handing one ear bud from her ipod to her friend and giving her a smile “They are just jealous that once high school ends, that’s it for them. We, on the other hand, have a bright future ahead of us where we create art and music and make the world a better place.”

“It’d be better if you shut up” Dana hissed in her ear before sitting back in her seat, kicking her feet up on the row ahead of her, setting them right between Rachel and Charlie’s heads.

“Your boots stink, Dana” Rachel groaned, turning and pushing her feet until they fell. She sat up and gripped Quinn’s seat from behind, turning her head as she poked it around the back to see the side of Quinn’s face “I highly recommend we reconsider the path we take after school every day. If you dropped me off first it would take seven to ten minutes less and conserve gas.”

“How?” Quinn asked with a sideways glance before looking back to the road “Santana lives the furthest from us all, and then B, then you are two blocks away from us.”

“Actually, you head northwest to go to Santana’s house first. If you headed due west for six blocks, you would hit my house then have a straight northern shot to Santana’s. If you turn left at the end of her block after dropping her off instead of right, you can loop around to Brittany’s then take one more turn and hit your house four blocks later. Your path now is an awkward trapezoid when it could be a sharp angled rectangle which is more efficient on gas and time. It’s simple geometry.” 

“Shut up” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes “Be lucky I even give you a ride.”

“Quinn doesn’t want to drop you off first.” Santana said with a little smirk, her arm having slid back around Charlie when everyone else had been paying attention to Rachel’s freak math speech.

“Why not?” Rachel asked with a curious glance as she settled back against her seat. “It’s much more efficient and we would have to be stuffed together in these seats for less time.”

“Santana” Quinn snapped, glaring at her through the mirror, catching her before she had even opened her mouth to talk. The two of them had a stare down in the mirror until Santana finally looked back to Rachel.

“She likes torturing you” She mumbled in a half-hearted attempt of sounding cruel. That was not the real reason, but she had a feeling Quinn would get in an accident where only Santana’s side of the car was wrecked in if she blurted it out. She was not ready to die, yet. Not until she nailed Charlie at least. Santana was not subtle with her crush that was for sure. Sometimes she wished Quinn would take a page from her book on that account.

The rest of the ride was quiet and when they reached the Lopez house, Santana crawled out then popped her seat forward to let out Dana. “Are you sure you don’t want to come study with me, Charlie? I could use a brush up on my anatomy.”

“No thank you, Santana” Charlie said calmly again, trying her best to be polite.

“Prude” Dana said with a smirk as she whacked Charlie on the back of the head on her way out. She stuck her head back in the door and smiled at everyone “Ladies, it’s been fun. I just farted in the back seat, so enjoy.” She let out a cackle and pulled her head out, slinging the door shut with a slam behind her.

“Charming” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes as she adjusted the mirror to look behind her. “You alright, Charlie?”

“Great” The youngest sister said with a nod as she scooted away from Rachel now that they had more space.

“Don’t let her bother you” Brittany said softly, turning in her seat now to look at the girls in the back as Quinn pulled away from the curb of the house. “Santana will push your buttons until you give in. Just keep standing strong and she will get bored.”

“She’s like a gnat, seriously. Just ignore her buzzing around your head and she will die off in a day or two.” Quinn said in agreement, casting a sideways glance to Brittany. She offered her a slight half smile and reached over to pat her leg. It was a silent comforting for her friend because even if they hadn’t talked about it, she knew Santana had hurt Brittany this summer and it had to sting to see her flirting so carelessly in front of her face.

“Can we please listen to some music now” Rachel piped up, sitting forward again and speaking at Quinn from around her chair “Music is a great way to unwind from the day and I think we all could use a little relaxation for the rest of the ride home.”

Quinn rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She pressed the power button on the stereo in the car then pressed number six on the stations button. It was Rachel’s favorite station. She had programmed it one day after dropping everyone off. She claimed she had left her purse in the back seat, crawled in, turned on the radio and saved it. You know, so she wouldn’t have to fight with Rachel to find the station. It was a peace maker.  

At least that is what she would say if Dana ever questioned it, which she knew would never happen. No one asked for music while Dana was in the car and when she drove she only listened to station number one. She was the oldest so she got the first button she had argued. There were six buttons, no reason for them to fight over who got what, but they had anyway.

A smile flickered on Charlie’s face when she noticed her sister change the station to her best friend’s favorite right away. Maybe Quinn just didn’t want to fight anymore or maybe it was something more. Either way it was nice. Quinn didn’t have a lot of moments like that, where she was genuinely nice to people, but when she did Charlie took notice. She had a good heart but sometimes it got lost in the shuffle of high school and popularity. They were more alike than Quinn would ever admit, but Charlie didn’t mind. She liked sharing that silent bond with her sister. It was comforting to know she really wasn’t a freak.

The rest of the ride was peaceful, to say the least. Charlie and Rachel sang along to the songs on the radio, seemingly knowing them all. Quinn didn’t mind, it was better than bickering and, well, Rachel had an incredible voice. It actually made her smile, even if she bit the corners of her mouth to fight it from actually happening for anyone to see.

“Bye Britt” Quinn said with a smile as her best friend slipped from the front seat. “I’ll call you after dinner and we can do homework later.”

“Thanks” She smiled and waved to the other girls in the back seat before shutting the door and skipping off up the walk to her house. 

“You could have just stayed, Q. I would have dropped Rachel off then went home myself.” Charlie sat forward between the front seats, looking at her sister with a smile. “No need to have to come back later.”

“I want to change” She said with a shrug, glancing at her cheerleading uniform she was forced to wear each day. “And mom is making chicken and dumplings tonight. I didn’t eat much at lunch so it’s no big deal.” She waited for her sister to sit back then nodded “One more stop then we’re home free.”

“Actually” Rachel frowned and looked at Charlie, showing her the text message she had just gotten from her dad. “Do you think your mom will mind if I crash dinner tonight, again? I think she still has salad from last night leftover that I can eat.”

“It’s fine. She likes you.” Charlie smiled and leaned forward again to Quinn who had pulled away and was heading toward the Berry house “Rachel’s dads are working late again so she is going to have dinner with us so you don’t have to drop her off.”

“Does mom know?” Quinn asked with a huff. She had to act like that news didn’t thrill her.

“Mom likes Rachel. Unlike you and Dana’s friends she is polite and doesn’t chew with her mouth open.” 

“Okay, we both know that Dana is the one that chews with her mouth open. And Brittany is polite!”

“Last time she ate dinner she refused to eat the mashed potatoes and gravy because she doesn’t eat the color gray.” Charlie sat back, folding her arms with a shake of her head. “Brittany is sweet but she isn’t always polite, Q.”

“Fine” she rolled her eyes again and took a turn onto their street since she didn’t have to hit Rachel’s house anymore. It was true Brittany didn’t really have a filter. If she saw something and wanted to comment on it, she would, no matter how rude it might come off as.

“You don’t have to eat salad. I snuck some tofu into the shopping cart last week. I will make you that while mom finishes our dinner” Charlie gave Rachel a smile. She was her best friend so she wasn’t going to let her go hungry just because her family loved meat.

“Thanks. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” Rachel gave her friend a half hug then settled back. Her eyes looked out the window and she grinned as she quietly sang along to the music.

A few moments later Quinn had the S.U.V. rumbling up the driveway and into the garage of the Fabray house. It was a good thing their father had been an established stock broker when they had kids or the three of them might have driven them into a poor house. Instead they continued to live a comfortable life in a nice house. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Dinner was uneventful for the most part. Quinn did end up telling Judy exactly what had happened at lunch and Judy had spent a half hour on the phone verbally punishing Dana, although Quinn was pretty sure her sister had hung up after five minutes. She had tried to ground her eldest daughter but since she was at Santana’s the punishment failed and the woman instead settled on telling their father over the phone for him to deal with later then made herself a cocktail before settling in for Nancy Grace.

Charlie and Rachel were now in Charlie’s room with Rachel spread out on the floor and Charlie on the bed. They both had books in front of them and they were deeply enthralled in their homework. Charlie had to catch up on the chemistry she had missed that day and Rachel was revisiting her history notes.

“Did you get enough to eat?” Charlie asked without looking up from her notes.

Rachel smiled, nodding her head a bit “I did, thank you. I should just start packing a dinner for the weekends since I am here so much anyway.”

“Or my parents could add a little variety to their shopping list. I swear I could name off what they get every time they go without even having to look in their bags.” Charlie closed the notebook and sat up now, folding her legs together and giving Rachel a smile “So your dads are busy again this weekend?”

Rachel shrugged a little bit, nodding as she glanced up at her friend “Well daddy is out of town on business. There’s a prospective new client that he has been trying to nail down the past month. Dad has a huge case that needs top priority right now so here I am.” She gave a smile though it was anything but genuine. She was used to it, or at least she should be by now. It didn’t make it sting any less, though. At least now she had a place to stay instead of being alone all weekend like when she was a bit younger.

“Well I am glad to have you. You’re a distraction from…” Charlie glanced at the door and motioned to it with her hand, shrugging “Everything.”

“Your sisters aren’t even here. Well, Quinn is but she is leaving. Is it really that bad with them around all the time?” Rachel propped herself up on her elbows where she laid on the floor. Being an only child, Charlie’s whole situation fascinated her. Not only did she have two sisters but they were triplets. It was incredibly educational and entertaining to be around, even if her other sisters were less than friendly most times.

“Not all the time” Charlie said with a said, fiddling with the papers on her notebook “Quinn isn’t so bad when she’s not in her head bitch mode. She cares way too much what other people’s opinions of her are and she tries like Hell to make sure she looks good in the eyes of popularity. Dana, though…” Charlie shook her head, giving a roll of her eyes “She is intolerable most days, especially since she started hanging out with Santana. Those two are nearly impossible to deal with when they are together.”

“She didn’t always used to be like that” Rachel shrugged, grabbing a pen now and flipping open her pink notebook with gold stars all over it. “She hasn’t always been nice to me, per say, but she was at least decent freshman year. What happened?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Something went on with Santana and Brittany over the summer too.”

“I’ve noticed” She frowned a little, her eyes on what she was writing “They can hardly look at each other.”

Charlie shrugged, sliding off the bed and going to her dresser. She pulled out two sets of pajamas, tossing one to Rachel with a smile “Let’s get settled in for the night. I think West Side Story is playing on AMC tonight.”

“Oh!” Rachel sat up, grabbing the clothes from her friend and clapping once she was on her feet. “Sounds like the perfect night to me!” 

“Good, now hurry up and go change!” Charlie gave her friend a smile then turned to head into the bathroom attached to her room. Rachel skipped out of the room and down the hallway to the other bathroom to change. It was a ritual they did nearly every weekend since becoming best friends in the middle of freshman year.

A few minutes later Rachel skipped back into the bedroom, giving the blonde laying in the middle of the bed a smile. Her friend had her sleep pants on, her wavy blonde hair now lying along her back, and an old tshirt on. Rachel politely placed her, well Brittany’s actually, discarded clothes in a neat pile near the dresser and went right back to her notebook.

“Anything new in there?” Quinn asked, biting her lip as she lay on the bed doing her very best Charlie impression.

Rachel glanced up at her friend, or who she thought was her friend, and perked an eyebrow. She shook her head a bit and went back to writing. “What do you mean by new?”

“You know something you haven’t told me about yet? I know how you are, you always mull over something for weeks before coming to me about it especially if it’s a decision based on your Broadway dreams or, um, crushes or whatever.” Damn it, Quinn really needed to pay more attention to how her sister interacted with Rachel.

Rachel shook her head a little bit as she scribbled in the book “Just some lines of a poem I’m working on. Nothing you’d be interested in, Quinn.”

Quinn’s mouth dropped and she looked at Rachel in shock. “How did you know?”

Rachel laughed a little, rolling her eyes as she looked at the girl “I’ve been around the three of you for over a year now and although Dana has done her best stand out and make it obvious who she is, there are still little clues between you and Charlie, although I must admit outside of your uniform it gets really difficult when you two aren’t standing together.”

“What are you talking about? We are identical” Quinn sat up now, huffing a little.

“Maybe in looks but you have mannerisms that are different.” Rachel shrugged and went back to her notebook. After a moment she looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw Quinn studying her like she was trying to figure out what she meant. She sat up and let out a sigh, folding her legs “For instance, Charlie never asks about my notebook. She knows it is sacred and the only place besides my mind where I can escape the world without ridicule and judgment.”

“Whatever” Quinn rolled off the bed, shaking her head a bit “You are so weird.”

“She’s intelligent” Charlie said from behind her, having slipped out of the bathroom just a moment ago. Her hair was down against her back as well, an old tshirt, and some sleep pants were on her body. If you didn’t know them you couldn’t tell them apart when they were standing in the same room. It was funny how close their styles were outside of Quinn’s uniform. It was almost identical. 

“Whatever, you two are boring. I am going to go find something else to do.” Quinn shrugged, picking up a snow globe from her sister’s dresser on the way out, giving it a little shake as she paused at the door and looked at the two girls for a moment. “We should do something tonight.”

“I thought you were going over to Brittany’s?” Charlie asked as she slid onto the bed now and took the place Quinn had just been sitting in.

Quinn shrugged and put the globe down, looking at her sister then to Rachel then back again quickly “She just called and said her parents found out she is failing art and grounded her for the weekend.”

“So why not call one of your other minions from the squad?” Charlie’s tone didn’t change from calm and collected although her words definitely carried a malicious tone and a slight smirk rose on her lips as she spoke them.

Quinn rolled her eyes and glanced at Rachel again before looking at the keychain from the Empire State building her parents had gotten Charlie on their trip last year that she picked up from the dresser next “Believe it or not I don’t necessarily like most of them. Besides, half the squad is older than me and has their own friends and parties and such.”

“Ohh, head cheerleader isn’t as glamorous as it seems, is it?” Charlie smirked now as she taunted her sister. Hey when she got her chance to take a dig at her sisters she had to take it.

“Don’t be mean” Rachel said through a giggle. Okay, it had been funny. But Rachel was not the type to kick someone when they were down. Unless they were in the way of her dreams then there was no mercy. “Quinn, you are more than welcome to hang out with us tonight. We are just going to watch West Side Story and talk about boys.”

“We are?” Charlie seemed surprised at that.

Rachel laughed, shaking her head a little “Well, no. But I thought that might appeal to Quinn a bit more than talking about musicals and photography.”

“Why do you say that?” Quinn asked with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest “I’m not boy crazy or anything.”

“Please” Charlie rolled her eyes “Remember last year when you filled an entire notebook with Finn Hudson’s name? You had the biggest crush on him and it’s all you talked about.  Well that and cheerleading and how you were going to be head cheerleader next year.” She stuck a finger into her open mouth and faked a gag.

“At least I’m not a freak who loves her camera more than human interaction” Quinn tossed the keychain at Charlie’s head, which she ducked without much trouble. Charlie erupted into a fit of giggles at how she had gotten under her sister’s skin.

“Charlie” Rachel said with a frown, getting up now and walking over to Quinn with a shake of her head “I don’t think you are boy crazy I just thought that might interest you is all. I know what we talk about probably bores you so I was offering some sort of opening for you to join in the conversation.”

“What would you know about boys?” Quinn huffed, pushing Rachel away and heading to the door “You freaks have fun being lame and dying alone.”

Rachel sighed as Quinn left the room. Her hands came to her hips and she turned to look at her friend on her bed “Do you have to be so cruel to her? You know you are no better than your sisters when you act like that.”

“Oh whatever” Charlie shrugged, tucking some hair behind her ear and grabbing her remote “She is never nice to me, or you for that matter, it’s about time she gets a little taste of her own medicine.”

“It’s not your job to teach her a lesson. Besides, have you ever heard the saying kill them with kindness?” She huffed and folded her arms as she sat on the floor with her back to the bed. “Maybe all Quinn wants is to feel normal and included. Is that such a crime?”

“Normal and included? Rachel she is the most popular girl in school I doubt she has issues feeling left out.”

“School life and home life are two different things, Charlie.” She shrugged, frowning now as she tapped her feet together at the toes “Maybe she wants to know she still has the support and love of her sisters. You guys share a bond that not even regular siblings share and whether you like it or not you always will. It will always feel normal to want to be around your sisters, even if you hate them.”

Charlie let out a sigh, shrugging a little bit. She hated when Rachel was right. “Fine” She said softly, sliding off the bed and heading to the door “I’ll go apologize. Being mean to her like she is to us doesn’t make it right.” She gave her friend a smile, tossing her the remote “Find the movie and I will go say sorry to Quinn.”

“Thank you” Rachel said with a nod and a smile to her friend before taking the remote and pointing it at the t.v. She knew exactly what channel AMC was. It was one of her favorites because it played classic movies more than any other channel. When she flipped to the station and saw the guide telling her there were a few minutes before it started, Rachel pressed pause and let the t.v. record while she waited for Charlie, and hopefully Quinn, to return.

It was ten minutes later when the girls came back into the room. Quinn had a bowl of popcorn and Charlie had some water bottles in her hands. Charlie greeted her friend with a smile as she handed her the water and sat down on her right hand side. 

“I convinced Quinn to watch the movie with us. I told her once it’s over she can choose one she wants to watch since she has nothing else to do tonight. And I made popcorn, no butter so it’s vegan for you.”

“Here” Quinn plopped the bowl onto Rachel’s lap since she was in the middle once Quinn had settled on her left. “This movie better not suck.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rachel was positively glowing as she picked up the remote “It’s a more modern day telling of Romeo and Juliet. Two lovers from opposite words that were destined to be together no matter what, it’s romantic!”

Quinn’s glance at Rachel lasted a little longer than it should of as the girl explained the plot. She found herself smiling and quickly had to look away. She cleared her throat and shrugged as she grabbed a handful of popcorn “Sounds just like every other lame Hollywood movie.”

“Actually it was a play first.” Rachel corrected her as she pressed play and forwarded a little until the beginning of the movie started.

“Shhh” Quinn hissed as she crunched on a few pieces of popcorn as she focused on the screen.

The girls all fell quiet as the movie ran. With each commercial break, Rachel would turn to Quinn and ask if she was following the story. She knew Charlie was because they had seen it together several times. 

“Rachel” Quinn hissed in a whisper as a car commercial played in the background “If I don’t understand something I will ask. Until then could you please stop asking me like I’m a five year old?”

“Sorry” Rachel said with a frown, sinking down into her spot a bit “I just wanted to make sure you were enjoying yourself.”

“I’m fine” Quinn folded her arms and focused on the t.v. again. She sighed and looked over at Rachel and when she saw her pouting. A frown came to her lips and she rolled her eyes a little “I’m having a good time, thank you for making sure of it.”

“You’re welcome” Rachel whispered before a smile came to her face. Good, she wanted Quinn to have fun.

The movie continued without any more interruptions. By the time the movie was over Rachel was slumped to the side, her head on Quinn’s shoulder, sound asleep.

Charlie sat up to take the remote, turning the t.v. on mute and looking over at her friend. When she saw her friend on her sister’s shoulder she smiled softly. Look, they could touch without killing each other. She turned off the t.v. and got up, grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed and laid it on Rachel’s legs gently “Do you want me to wake her up so you can go to bed?” She whispered softly.

Quinn looked down to Rachel on her shoulder and shook her head. She shifted a little bit, slowly wiggling down against where she leaned into the bed until she was laying flat against the floor. Rachel shifted with her and soon they were both laying down, Rachel lying slightly against Quinn. She smiled a little and looked at her sister with a shrug “Um, I don’t want to wake her up. Just give me a pillow.”

Charlie perked an eyebrow at her sister as she grabbed a pillow and handed it over. This was odd, to say the least. Quinn hated sharing a bed. They had never had the same room because of it. Well that and because the house had enough room for them all. But once when they went to church camp and they had to share the bottom bunk she had complained the entire time. 

“Whatever you say” Charlie said with a shrug, smirking a little bit as she got up and crawled into her own bed. She reached up and clicked off the lamp in the corner, leaving just the night light in the corner the only light in the room.

Quinn laughed a little bit at that “You still sleep with a night light?”

“Shut up” Charlie said with a yawn as she pulled the blankets up around herself. “If you tell anyone I will tell Dana you snuggled Rachel all night.”

Quinn looked down at the girl lying on her chest and smiled. “If you tell Dana I’ll tell her you’re the one who not so accidentally showed mom where her weed stash was.” Her fingers slid lightly through Rachel’s hair, a sigh leaving her lips. This was so worth near blackmail although she would never admit it. “I just don’t want her to wake up. She looks comfortable.”

“Whatever” Charlie sang out and closed her eyes as she settled in her bed. “Have fun snuggling Rachel Berry.”

Quinn would usually be annoyed by her sister’s taunting but right now she didn’t care. Her arm slowly moved around Rachel’s waist and let out a breath. The two girl’s bodies settled together more fully and Quinn smiled. She spent the rest of the night watching Rachel sleep, all the while keeping her eyes opens until they burned with exhaustion and she was forced to drift into sleep.


	2. Four play

“Ah gay!” Dana laughed out from where she stood at the doorway of Charlie’s room. Santana peered over her shoulder into the room, giving a little snicker herself.

“Aww, Q, you never told us you were such a softie. And for Berry of all people? How adorable.” Santana tossed her hair over her shoulder and she and Dana shared a high five.

“Butt out” Charlie groaned, wiping at her eyes as she sat up in bed. It was early Saturday morning and Quinn and Rachel were still on the bedroom floor.

Quinn’s eyes flickered open and after a few blinks of her eyes to ward away the sleep, her focus fell on the pink haired punk and her Latina friend looking down at her with cocky little smirks on their faces.

“Morning snuggle bug” Dana said with a giddy grin on her lips, moving around her still groggy sister and plopping herself down on the other side of Rachel. The movement of Dana sitting brought Rachel out of her slumber.

She sat up and wiped at her mouth, having been drooling lightly. She yawned, covering her mouth as she did so, her eyes finally coming open to focus on the room around her. Suddenly she realized she was sandwiched between Quinn and, oh goodness, Dana!

“What?” Rachel looked between the girls then quickly crawled out from between them and got to her feet. She looked confused and the girls weren’t helping. Dana had an amused smile on her lips and Quinn, well Quinn wasn’t even looking at her. “How long have I been asleep?”

“All night” Charlie yawned, getting out of her bed now and stretching her arms above her head. “You fell asleep during the movie and Quinn didn’t want to move you.”

“Awww” Dana and Santana both cooed out, taunting Quinn with their hands over their hearts as they batted their eyes at Quinn in a fake swoon.

“Shut up! I…” Quinn glanced at Rachel then to her sister next to her and back to Rachel “She was laying on me, I couldn’t shove her off without waking her up. I didn’t want her to wake up and hear her whine so I was just like whatever.” She rolled her eyes, huffing as she shoved the blankets off her and got to her feet as well. She brushed the lint from the blanket off her pajama pants and folded her arms “What are you even doing up so early?”

Rachel frowned at the dismissal from Quinn about their sleeping arrangements and folded her arms feeling really awkward at the moment as Dana snickered and got to her feet as well.

“Actually, we came by to get some shut eye. Santana and I were out all night and when we got back to her house the window was locked so we decided to come here.” Dana gave a shrug, moving back over to Santana with a little nudge of her shoulder “We were sneaking in when we walked by and thought we would come wake you dweebs up. Little did we know we were walking into a love fest.”

“It was not a love fest!” Quinn growled, trying to storm passed her sister but it didn’t work since she and Santana were in her way. She turned around with a growl and her eyes fell on Rachel who had an arm across her chest, rubbing at her other arm awkwardly. She bit her lip and tried not to feel guilt bubbling in her stomach at the look on Rachel’s face.

“This has been lovely” Charlie said with another yawn “But I would appreciate it if all of you left my room. It’s barely seven in the morning and I am not ready to deal with your verbal lashing, no matter how unintelligent they might be.”

“Such a warm homecoming.” Dana rolled her eyes, turning and tapping Santana on the shoulder “Let’s bounce, San. There’s a party on the east side of town tonight, we need to rest up for it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join me for a little snooze, Chuck?” Santana asked with a little smirk, her eyes taking a nice trip up and down her sleepy body. “I’m a real good snuggler. Better than Quinn I bet.”

“Bite me” Quinn growled.

“No” Charlie held her hand up “I’m awake now so you are going to have to settle for Dana.”

Santana looked at her friend and her lip curled up “Ew, she looks like cotton candy I threw up at the carnival last year.”

“Bitch” Dana laughed, reaching up to slid her arm around her neck, bending her over and giving her a noogie as she pulled her friend down the hallway toward her bedroom. The door was marked with caution tape and various pictures of scary characters, most of them drawn by Dana to ward off human beings.

Charlie rolled her eyes and rubbed at the bridge of her nose before her eyes landed on Quinn. The sisters shared a look and Charlie shrugged, motioning with her hand toward the door.

“Me?” Quinn pointed at herself and frowned “I didn’t do anything. I just woke up too.”

“Sure did. Now, kindly leave. You’ve been in my room long enough. Besides, Rachel needs to shower and get her all night Quinn snuggle muck off her body.”

Quinn scowled, clenching her jaw and rolling her eyes. “Fine.” She looked at Rachel with a forced glare and shook her head before turning to head toward the door. She stopped and turned, pointing at the both of them, her scowl softening slightly when her eyes fell on Rachel “Not a word about this. Like I said, it was just so I didn’t have to hear Rachel whine when I woke her up.” She gave a firm nod of her head then twirled on her heels, storming out and toward her own bedroom, making sure to give a slam to her door once she was inside.

Rachel let out a sigh and walked to the door, pushing it closed gently before turning back to Charlie with a shrug “Am I really that horrible? It’s not like anything happened, I didn’t even know I fell asleep until I woke up this morning.”

“It’s Quinn” Charlie rolled her eyes, moving toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder “She hates being made to look vulnerable in any way. When Dana comes in and starts to make fun of her she freaks. This is just the type of thing Dana would use as blackmail if need be.”

“And my self-esteem continues to grow exponentially” Rachel had a fake happy tone as she spoke, her eyes rolling before she looked at her friend with a breath of a laugh. “Why do I hang out with you again?”

“Because I’m the only one sane enough to handle your insanity and vice versa.” Charlie gave her friend a little smile and a nudge of her shoulder before stepping away toward her dresser “Now go get showered and I’ll pull out some of your clothes.” Over the year they had been friends Rachel had stayed over enough times that she had amassed a nice collection of clothing to wear over the weekends.

Rachel gave a salute then happily skipped off to the shower. A nice warm shower and a fresh start to the day was just what she needed. No Dana and Santana snickering at her and no Quinn acting as if touching her were the worst thing in the world. Nope. She was going to start over starting with this shower.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The Fabray house sat on a half acre of clean cut grass with trees lining the property in the back. The neighbors on each side had put up privacy fences, creating the illusion that their backyard was cut off from the entire world. With an in ground swimming pool near the back patio, a shed, and a trampoline there was still plenty of space for the girls to do whatever they liked. When they were younger they used to set up obstacle courses with the pieces of their old plastic play places but those days were long gone. Most days the yard went unused except the occasional fancy party thrown by their mother or a few cheer practices right before competitions to just make sure the squad was ready.

Today, though, it was a beautiful day and Rachel and Charlie were taking advantage of it. Charlie had out her camera, her prized possession, and was taking pictures of the beautiful landscape of the forest lining the back of their property as well as any wildlife that decided to fly, wander, and flutter by.

Rachel was lying on her back with a pair of binoculars to her face, bird watching. She was an avid member of the bird watching society in their school, wanting another extracurricular for her college applications. It was a nice peaceful afternoon free of sisters and bickering and annoyances.

“Oh a black tailed gull!” Rachel pulled the binoculars from her eyes and rolled over, grabbing her check list and scribbling it down. “With that I only have three more to see and I’ll be the first one of the club to have gone through both the seasonal and rare birds list this year!”

“Thrilling” Charlie mumbled from behind her camera. She was in the middle of clicking a few action shots of a humming bird near the fence where the trees hung over.

Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head, rolling back onto her back, and put the binoculars back to her face. “You are so impenetrable when you are behind your camera. I could insult your mom right now and you wouldn’t even hear it.”

“That’s a lie, I would hear it perfectly fine although I would choose to ignore it” She put her camera down with a roll of her eyes and sighed now, shaking her head “Quinn what are you doing?” She yelled at her sister across the yard who had just appeared from who knows where.

“Brit and I are working out” Quinn yelled back as the other blonde came into the yard now too, revealing that Quinn must have come from the gate in the back of the yard that lead into the woods behind the fence.

Charlie sighed and turned around, sitting now with her legs crossed, setting her camera down “Well I guess our nice peaceful day has just come to an end.”

Rachel looked around her friend to see the two blondes near the other end of the yard. She gave a shrug and looked at Charlie with a shake of her head “They are all the way over there. I am sure they won’t bug us.”

“Yeah right” Charlie sighed, picking up her camera and capping it, tucking the strap around it tightly, and setting it onto the grass neatly “When they work out they really mean run, stretch, and then practice their cheers. It’s about to get obnoxiously loud in a few minutes.”

Right on cue it did get obnoxiously loud although it was not due to Quinn and Brittany. Dana and Santana had come through the patio door talking and laughing about something that had happened the night before, both with bags of greasy takeout food that they had probably purchased the night before then left in Santana’s car over night and not bothered to reheat before eating.

“Peaceful Saturday officially ruined” Charlie mumbled, starting to get to her feet now.

Rachel shook her head, grabbing onto her arm and giving a soft pull “We can ignore them. They are still by the house we can just move a little further away and continue what we were doing.”

“Doubtful” Charlie said softly, her eyes on her sisters as she spoke. Quinn and Brittany were done stretching and it looked like Quinn was going over the clapping routine and hand and arm motions with Brittany. Dana and Santana were now having a food fight on the patio and laughing hysterically between ducking and chucking.

Rachel watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but laugh when Dana showed Santana a mouthful of food then fell backwards out of her chair when Santana tossed what looked like an entire order of fries at her head. She didn’t have siblings so this was hilarious!

Charlie rolled her eyes but let out a laugh as well. Maybe instead of bird watching they could just turd watch instead. The two of them settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the two girls rough housing on the patio until they ended up wrestling in the lawn near the steps. 

Rachel smiled slightly, her eyes traveling to her friend next to her, and reading the look on her face as she watched the girls. Breaking the silence with a soft clear of her throat, Rachel spoke softly, not wanting to startle her friend who seemed pretty wrapped up in the fake fighting. “Do you like her?”

“What?” Charlie’s head whipped around and her eyes focused on her friend with a confused crease in her brow.

Rachel swallowed, biting her lip nervously, but decided to ask again even though they never talked about stuff like this “Uh, Santana.” Her eyes glanced to the third cheerleader who was now standing on top of Dana with one foot on her chest, the other on the grass, her arms flexing in victory.

“No, she’s obnoxious” Charlie said quickly, shaking her head, and looking back at the two. Dana slapped Santana’s foot away and rolled over, pushing herself up from the ground to her feet again.

Rachel gave a little nod, studying her friend’s face until she turned around to look at her again. She quickly shrugged as her fingers tangled in the hem of her shirt “I know, it was a stupid question. I don’t even know why I asked. I mean, she is always all over you and you are so cool in side stepping the situation.” She eyed her friend for a moment before taking a huge breath and blurting out “But I’ve never heard you say no. Why is that?”

“Wh-what?” Charlie sputtered, shaking her head, and folding her arms now. “Are you kidding me? Of course I’ve said no. How many times have I pushed her arm off me or told her I didn’t want to study anatomy with her or teach her CPR with tongue?” She rolled her eyes at the last one. Santana could be so disgusting.

“Yeah I know” Rachel said quickly, shaking her head, and pushing some bangs off her eyes “I don’t know why I asked, it was stupid.”

“Yeah it was” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes before her gaze drifted back to her punk sister and her best friend. Santana and Dana were now mocking Brittany and Quinn with obnoxious cheers of their own although the arm movements from Santana were a lot more precise and sharp then Dana, which in turn made Dana turn and start mocking her as well which lead to a shoving match between the two. 

Charlie smiled a little bit at the scene. Sometimes her sister could be a really big dork. As big of a bitch as she had become since hanging with Santana she had to admit the girl had softened her a little, too. At least in the way that she was a little more open to being a dork even if it was only when Dana thought it was just she and Santana messing around and no one else was looking.

Suddenly Dana stopped shoving and pointed over Santana’s shoulder toward where Charlie and Rachel sat. A smirk came to her lips and she said something that made Santana turn as well. When her eyes fell on Charlie a smirk curled over her features as well. She put a hand on her hip and started to fluff her hair playfully, giving a wink, and blowing a kissing their direction.

“Gross” Charlie huffed, turning around and folding her arms over her chest. A round of laughter was heard from the two girls and even Rachel giggled a little which got a scowl from her friend.

“What? I think they’re funny when they’re not throwing trash at me or dousing me with fire extinguisher goop.” She shrugged, still fighting a laugh, more amused now at how Charlie was not amused at the situation at all. Her smile faded though and she quickly straightened up and cleared her throat “Incoming!”

“Hey Chuck” Santana was sitting next to the quiet blonde faster than Charlie could react to Rachel’s warning, her arm slung around her shoulders heavily in the process “I saw you watching me, did you enjoy the view? I have been told I have the best ass at McKinley.”

“I think you mean you are the biggest ass” Dana mumbled, giving a nudge to her friend with her boot, and laughing softly.

“Ignore her, she wouldn’t know a nice ass if she saw one” She glared at Dana then looked back at Charlie with a quick smile “So seeing as you couldn’t take your eyes off me I assume you are finally going to take my up on that offer to help me study anatomy?”

“I was not checking you out” Charlie huffed, sliding away and pushing at Santana’s arm. “And I do not want to help you study. You aren’t even in anatomy.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t brush up on it” At the word brush, her hand reached out and slid across Charlie’s thigh.

“Back off” Rachel said firmly, reaching out to push her hand away, suddenly feeling protective of her friend “She said no. She doesn’t like you like that Santana.”

“Yet” Santana said with a shrug, unphased by Rachel’s defense. She shrugged and looked back to Charlie with a grin “But one day she will cave and when that day comes…” She smirked, leaning in to put a quick kiss to Charlie’s cheek before winking at Rachel and getting back to her feet.

“Sick” Rachel mumbled, her nose curling up in disgust. Charlie groaned and wiped her face, shaking her head a little bit at what had just happened.

“Let’s go, I’m bored” Santana patted Dana on the chest with the back of her hand. Dana had not been paying attention to the scene that unfolded. Her eyes were focused across the yard where Brittany was now bent over, stretching out her legs. Santana glanced between her friend and her ex and a frown curled over her features “Hey bitch” She shoved Dana enough to peel her eyes off the blonde’s ass, shaking her head a bit when Dana looked at her a bit confused.

Rachel immediately perked an eyebrow, not sure she had really seen what she thought she had, but almost sure of what she had seen. Had Dana really been checking out Brittany’s ass? No, that couldn’t be right, could it?

“What?” Dana asked with a laugh, rubbing at her chest where Santana had shoved her “I was just looking!”

“At Brittany’s ass?” Santana shouted which caught both Quinn and Brittany’s attention now too.

“Chill dude” Dana shrugged, pushing her fingers back through her pink hair before her hand motioned toward the two blondes “An ass is an ass. Besides you’re the one that said I couldn’t recognize a good one when I saw one!”

“She is my ex” Santana said out loud before realizing she had said it. When her words reached everyone’s ears they exchanged looks. Brittany had frowned and Quinn’s face was painted with realization of the reality she had suspected all summer. Charlie and Rachel just looked at each other with wide eyes before looking back to the fighting friends.

“Dude” Dana said softly, glancing between Brittany and Santana, her head giving a shake “I’m sorry you know I didn’t mean anything by it. I would never cross that line with her. Bros before hoes, right?” She extended her fist out, waiting for Santana to give her a bump and signal that everything was alright.

When Santana just slapped her fist out of the way and stormed away from her friend, Dana rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Quinn moved an arm around Brittany who was horrified that that had happened in front of everyone. Rachel bit her lip and Charlie frowned. The truth was basically out now, the only thing missing were the details. 

When Dana felt everyone staring at her, she frowned and pointed at Charlie “If you would just put out she could get over Brittany and stop being a bitch when it comes to her.” She looked at Brittany after her words, shrugging, and in a rare moment of sincerity she spoke softly “Sorry I didn’t know she would blow like that. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine” Brittany lied before stepping away from Quinn and folding her arms. Rachel and Charlie exchanged a curious look. Why was Dana being so nice to Brittany? She didn’t care about anyone’s feelings and if it came to her best friend and her best friend’s ex you would think she would be on her best friend’s side.

Dana noticed the looks and huffed, rolling her eyes, and turning back toward the house “Whatever this shit is lame. I’m out.” She threw a middle finger in the air behind her as she left and stormed up the steps and into the house.

Everyone sat in silence for a long time until finally Quinn convinced Brittany they should go inside and change since they were done. “We can go get some ice cream. That always makes you feel better” She offered to her friend softly as they headed through the yard toward the door.

“Hey” Rachel scrambled to her feet and cut the girls off on their way to the door. She reached out and rubbed Brittany’s arm and gave her a smile “If you need to talk or anything, I know we’re not like friends really, but I owe you for helping clean me up and borrowing me some clothes.”

“Thanks Rachel” Brittany said with a smile before starting toward the door again.

Quinn smiled as well, nodding her head before looking at Rachel, giving a shrug “That was nice, Berry. Thanks.” Her tone was sincere, her smile genuine, and her gaze lingered a bit longer than it should before she caught herself and turned quickly to catch up with Brittany in the house.

Standing there smiling, Rachel feel pretty good about what had just happened. It was the least she could do to thank Brittany for being nice to her the day prior. Charlie got to her feet, gathered her camera, and Rachel’s things before walking over to her friend and handing her the notebook and binoculars.

“What just happened?” Charlie asked with a shake of her head “Today is weird, everyone is being nice when they are usually rude, fighting with their friends, and Quinn just gave you like her truly thankful smile.” She let out a soft laugh, motioning to the door “The moon must be full or something. What do you say we go get some lunch and see if we can catch a movie at the mall or something?”

Rachel nodded as she took her items then turned toward the house “Whatever you want, Charlie. I am in a good mood, nothing can kill this day.” She beamed as she strolled into the house. For the first time in longer than she could remember neither sister had bullied her, ruined their Saturday, or even called her a bad name. It was a good day in the world of Rachel Berry.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Charlie and Rachel strolled through the Lima mall, killing time before their movie was set to start, and checking out some of the sales on the lenses at the camera store.  Charlie had lectured Rachel on the importance of having a spare one for ten minutes before Rachel gave in and let her look at them without whining that she was bored. Even if they were best friends that didn’t mean they had everything in common. Plus it kind of annoyed Rachel how good Charlie was at photography when she had the eye of a three year old. It was alright, she had to tell herself, because it was Charlie’s calling and Broadway was hers.

“Do you wanna stop by the food court and get something to munch on while we wait?” Charlie asked with a smile on her face as she eyed her new lens before putting it back in the bag from the store.

Rachel shrugged as she looked at her phone, her fingers flying over the keys in a text to her fathers to let them know she was alright “I could go for something.” She put her phone away and looked up with a smile “Maybe a light salad.”

“Yum” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes, giving a laugh before they turned and headed toward the plaza with all the restaurants lined up. Charlie scanned the area and decided on pizza with a nod “Alright, you go grab your salad and find a seat and I’ll find you.”

Rachel nodded and gave a wave before she headed to a little help yourself booth that held pre-packed sandwiches and salads. She took her time choosing a salad that looked fresh and paying for it before she turned and scanned the tables in the food court. She wandered through the tables to find a clean one and the more she searched the more discouraged she became. People were disgusting.

“Rachel?” A soft voice came from behind her and she quickly turned around. When her eyes landed on Brittany giving her a little smile, Rachel perked up a bit and gave her a little wave. “Are you here alone?” The blonde girl asked, glancing around for Charlie.

“No” Rachel said quickly “Charlie is getting pizza. I was looking for somewhere for us to sit but everything is either full or dirty.” Her lip curled in disgust and her head gave a disapproving shake.

“You can sit with us” Brittany bounced on her toes as she turned and pointed behind her to where Quinn was reading a book at a table a few feet away. “I’m sure Quinn won’t mind.”

“Really?” Rachel grinned and gave a quick nod “Great, yeah. I would love that.”

Brittany motioned with her hand for her to follow and nearly skipped over to the table. She plopped down next to Quinn and Rachel slid in on the other side of her, leaving Charlie the spot next to her sister.

At the arrival of Brittany, Quinn looked up at her friend. She was about to say something when she saw Rachel sitting across from her and her eyebrow perked a bit “Hello, Rachel.” She eyed the girl then looked back into her book.

“Hi, Quinn” Rachel beamed as she took the top off her salad “Brittany invited Charlie and I to join you since there were no clean tables open. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Whatever” She mumbled from behind her book trying to sound indifferent. Her eyes lifted though and she watched Rachel as she forked through her salad, inspecting it for any imperfections.

“Rachel, really?” Charlie sighed and set her tray down before she sat in the only empty chair at the table. “We finally get away from them and you end up sitting with them?”

“There weren’t any clean tables” Rachel said with a shrug “Besides it won’t kill you to spend some time with your sister.”

“It might” Both Quinn and Charlie said in unison which caused the sisters to exchange a glance and a little smirk. Brittany giggled at that and took a bite of her ice cream “You two sounded like twins.”

“We are” Charlie said with a shrug. Brittany looked between the two of them and perked an eyebrow but before she could say anything Quinn put her book down and shook her head at her friend “She meant we’re triplets which is exactly like twins. Same thing.”

Brittany nodded and gave her friend a smile before taking another bite of her ice cream. She definitely seemed to have rebounded from the scene at the house earlier which was good.

“See?” Rachel said with a happy clap “Getting along already. Let’s just enjoy a nice light meal and polite conversation together and then Charlie and I will be out of your hair when our movie starts.”

“Oh which movie?” Brittany asked with a smile.

“We are going to see The Lion King” Charlie said through a bite of her pizza.

Rachel nodded excitedly as she gathered lettuce on her fork “It’s the only movie we haven’t already seen in theaters that isn’t rated R. I love 3D movies and The Lion King is one of my all time favorites.”

“I love them too” Brittany said with a grin, happy as could be about everything in the world it seemed. “I always feel like I am right there, you know? Like in the movies! I always wanted to hang out with Timon and Pumba.”

“Why don’t you come with?” Rachel asked with a shrug before she realized what she was saying.

Charlie huffed and Quinn dropped her book with a shake of her head. Again in unison the sisters spoke a firm “No!” Then looked at each other with a frown and shook their heads.

“Why not?” Rachel asked softly “It would be nice to have a peaceful afternoon together where we aren’t fighting or throwing things at me.”

“Yeah” Brittany looked at Quinn with a pout “Come on we don’t have anything else to do and you were saying how you wanted to stay out of the house as long as possible to avoid Dana and Santana again. This is perfect.”

“I’ll buy treats” Rachel offered with a hopeful look.

Quinn rolled her eyes at that “You think I can be bribed with food?”

Rachel’s eyes shifted and shrugged, her eyes dropping to look at her salad now as her shoulders slumped in defeat “I was just trying to be courteous.”

“Lay off her Quinn” Charlie said softly, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She had eaten her pizza down to the crust and now pushed her plate away from herself “She was trying to be nice. Believe it or not people actually do that.”

“Can we please?” Brittany pleaded with a little pout of her lip “I really want to see the movie in 3D. Besides Rachel said she would buy snacks!”

Quinn laughed a little at her friend’s enthusiasm then looked at Rachel. The hopeful little bat of those big brown eyes made Quinn’s heart clench. She quickly rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh “Fine we will go. But I want nachos and a pickle.”

“Deal!” Rachel said with a clap of her hands. Brittany clapped her hands too then quickly finished the last bite of her ice cream. The girls happily finished their food before Rachel gathered all their trash and quickly got up to discard it. Once she returned to the table she gave a clap “Alright are we ready to head to the theater? The show starts in twenty minutes and we need to take into consideration how long it takes to get there, standing in line to purchase both tickets and snacks, and getting good seats. I suggest that one person stands in line for tickets, the other for snacks, the last two go get seats together so we can ensure the four of us will not be split up.”

“Rachel it’s a Saturday afternoon and it’s The Lion King, I doubt seating will be a problem.” Charlie let out a laugh as she stood and waited for the other blondes to follow suit. Once they were all standing Rachel quickly lead the way through the crowds toward the theater at the other end of the mall.

“Alright Charlie you get the tickets” She said with a little nod of her head once they reached the box office. There was a short line but it wouldn’t take too long to get through it. Rachel waited for Quinn and Brittany to hand over some money for the tickets before she lead the girls into the theater. 

The snack line was a little longer and thus would be slower going than the ticket line. She folded her arms and turned to the blondes “Alright ladies since snacks are on me I should stand in line to get them. What would you like?”

“Um…” Brittany tapped her chin and looked at everything on the board. She stood there as her eyes skimmed the board over and over again. “Hmmm” She hummed and started to point to things that she was reading, shaking her head when she decided silently that it wasn’t what she wanted. She bit her lip and lifted her shoulders in thought. She smiled and opened her mouth to speak before shaking her head and letting out a sigh.

Rachel watched with annoyance at the fact that Brittany had no idea what she wanted. It was movie food, how hard could the decision be? Plus people were piling into the theater now and probably all going to see The Lion King thus putting their chances of sitting together in jeopardy. She huffed and folded her arms trying not to get impatient but that was hard for her.

“Here!” Rachel handed over her wallet to Brittany “You get whatever you want. You have this entire line to decide what you want, okay? Quinn and I will go get seats.” Without anymore hesitation she grabbed Quinn by the wrist and tugged her off toward their theater. They were stopped at the ticket booth when they obviously had no tickets and Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes a little bit.

“Nice plan” Quinn mumbled with a smirk of amusement on her face.

“Shut up” She turned and folded her arms, her eyes scanning for Charlie. Luckily she was approaching them with tickets in hand. Rachel let out a happy sigh and reached for their tickets from her friend, leaving Charlie with two “Thank you. Now will you please go stand with Brittany? Don’t let her spend all my money.”

Charlie perked an eyebrow at that plan but before she could argue Rachel was tugging at Quinn and hurrying through the ticket booth and toward their theater. Getting good seats was important to your viewing experience!

Once in the theater Rachel drug Quinn up the steps to a row that was three quarters the way up. She eyed the level of the seats with the screen then nodded and pulled her in. She looked up at the screen as she moved along the seats and once she found dead center in the row she smiled and plopped down. She let out a victorious sigh then grinned up at Quinn with a happy nod “We got good seats! This is going to be amazing.”

“Rachel” Quinn mumbled as she sat down next to her. She looked around then looked back to Rachel with a smile “You realize we are the only ones in here?”

Rachel looked around as well and when she realized it was true she gave a calm shrug and pushed the hair out of her face “Even better, we will not have to compete with any screaming children.”

Quinn rolled her eyes and laid her arms on the arm rests on each side of her before she slid down into her seat and kicked her feet up on the chair in front of her. Her eyes were locked on the screen, reading the little behind the scenes facts and trivia questions.

“You shouldn’t do that” Rachel said with a point to Quinn’s feet “It not only gets them dirty but loosens them and makes the seat back less comfortable because the position has shifted.”

“I doubt my feet are going to loosen it” Quinn mumbled, not taking her eyes off the screen.

“Well, no, but you are not the first to do that and after repeated jarring of the back of the seat it will eventually come loose.”

Quinn slowly looked over at Rachel with a blank, unamused look on her face, and then lifted both her feet off the chair only to bring them down with a firm kick. Her face lit up into a sarcastic smile then her eyes returned to the screen.

Rachel huffed and folded her arms across her chest “Why do you love to annoy me?”

“Because you are so easy to annoy.” Quinn said with a little shrug of her shoulders. She glanced over at her, smirking a little, before her eyes returned to the screen.

Rachel rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms. She took in a deep breath and pushed her bangs from her forehead “Well can you please not do it during the movie? I am really looking forward to this.”

Quinn just lifted a shoulder in a shrug, her head shaking a little bit “Maybe” she mumbled softly.

Rachel frowned and reached out, putting her hand over Quinn’s where it lay on the arm rest and gave a soft squeeze of her fingers “Please? I won’t tell anyone you were nice to me. I won’t even tell people we were at the same movie together.”

When Rachel grabbed her fingers Quinn’s heart leaped into her throat. She felt a little bit of a tingle shoot through her arm and move to the pit of her stomach. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she had to clear her throat to keep herself from squeaking when she spoke “Sure” She said softly, quickly, not daring to look at Rachel in fear her eyes would betray her.

Rachel smiled softly as Quinn conceded and gave her hand a soft squeeze of thanks before pulling it away and resting it in her lap. “Thank you” She whispered softly, turning her eyes back to the screen now with a happy grin on her lips.

“Brittany I am not going to share my cotton candy with you. You should have gotten your own” Charlie’s voice broke the silence that had settled in the theater as she and Brittany now walked up the aisle. They had their hands full and Rachel groaned. She would have to ask for an advance in her allowance from her dads if she wanted anything else the next two weeks.

“But there are two puffs of it!” Brittany said with a pout as they reached their row. “Please can’t I just have a little bit of it?”

Charlie rolled her eyes and scooted her way through the row until she got to Quinn. She handed over her nachos and the pickle she had wanted before sitting down. Brittany sat on her other side making an odd arrangement of seating but no one was attempting to complain at the moment.

“How much did you spend?” Rachel asked, leaning forward to talk to her friend.

“Like twenty bucks” Charlie said with a shrug, reaching her arm across Quinn to hand over her wallet.

“Charlie really!?” Rachel squeaked as she reached for her wallet. It would have been an annoying squeak, enough to make Quinn snap out something bitchy but not this time. Quinn was too distracted over the fact that Rachel’s hand had just brushed passed her boob. Her face got hot as a blush raised over her cheeks and she had to quickly stuff a nacho into her mouth to keep herself from making a noise.

“What? You said you were buying. That’s what you get for letting Brittany get whatever she wants.” Charlie shrugged and put a piece of candy in her mouth.

“Thank you by the way” Brittany said with a smile, leaning forward to smile at Rachel “I couldn’t decide so I got one of everything that looked good.”

“Obviously” Rachel sighed, sitting back after putting her wallet away. She shook her head a little then looked over at Quinn “How are your nachos?”

Quinn looked up looking a little surprised at the question. Her mouth was full so she just nodded quickly and put up a thumb in her direction.

Rachel giggled and reached for a napkin from under the nacho tray that Quinn was holding. She reached out and wiped gently at her chin, sweeping up the cheese that had dropped between stuffing chips into her mouth. “There you go” She whispered softly.

Thank god the lights dimmed to start the previews because Quinn’s face had turned a deep red at that moment. Her heart was thundering in her chest and her hand was shaking a little bit. She had to draw in a deep breath to control herself before she finally blinked and turned to focus on the screen.

“Brittany” Charlie hissed, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group again. There was a scuffling sound and finally Charlie grunted out loudly “Fine! You can have some of my cotton candy but you better share your goobers.”

“Okay” Brittany whispered with a giggle. The two girls settled back and silence fell back over the girls and the previews rolled over the screen. Soon the lights were dimmed completely and the movie started. As soon as the first note of the first song broke through the theater Rachel was smiling widely. This was so amazing already!

Brittany would giggle every now and then which made Rachel smile. She really was like a little kid sometimes. She wished she was sitting next to her so the two girls could whisper and laugh about the movie and not disturb the others. Instead she was stuck next to Quinn who she was afraid would snap at her if she leaned over and whispered to her.

Soon, though, she was unable to contain herself and she leaned over, grabbing Quinn’s arm on the arm rest, and whispering excitedly “I love this part!” She let out a little giggle and squeezed her arm a little bit.

Instead of pulling back, like everything inside Quinn was telling her to do, Quinn just nodded her head a little bit. She took in a deep breath and fought the tingles that were rising all over her arm. Every little dent from Rachel’s fingertips was igniting a pinpoint spark. She felt herself tremble and she had to close her eyes to try and bring her focus off the fingerprints left on her arm.

Quinn barely heard the fact that Rachel and Brittany were bouncing in their seats singing. Her mind was racing, her heart was pounding, and her lungs pulling in deep breaths. Even as Rachel removed her hand to dance she could still feel her touch against her. A shiver ran up her spine and she closed her eyes again as she tried to find her bearings.

Finally the beating of her heart calmed down and her breathing became regular again. She let out a sigh and opened her eyes again to focus on the movie. She could get through this the movie was winding down and as the battle over pride rock roared on she sunk into her seat and relaxed. It was almost over.

Suddenly Rachel was gripping Quinn’s arm again, this time hiding her face in her shoulder. Quinn tensed up immediately with a sharp inhale of breath. “I know, right?” Rachel whispered as her head turned back to look at the screen, her breath landing on Quinn’s neck during the whisper. “This part is so scary!”

Quinn’s eyes were wide, her hands were sweating, and her breathing heavy. She definitely looked like she was scared to death. She was but not because of the movie. Because of the way Rachel was making her feel at that very moment. The things coursing through her body at that moment were completely terrifying.

She kept her eyes forward as the movie played out. Once Scar had been tossed off the rock to his death Rachel’s grip loosened and slowly she pulled away. Quinn let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding and blinked for the first time in minutes. She swallowed heavily, her mouth suddenly dry, and she didn’t move until the movie was over. When the lights came up and everyone looked around Quinn glanced at Charlie then down to her feet.

“I love that movie” Rachel popped up from her seat excitedly and clapped “It is one of my all-time favorites!” She turned toward the girls and grinned at them “I am so glad you girls came, this was so fun!”

“I had a blast. Charlie gave me some cotton candy and we shared my goobers.” Brittany gathered up her trash then started out of the row of chairs followed by Charlie, Quinn, and Rachel bringing up the rear. Once they were gathered on the steps Charlie and Rachel took the lead and the other two fell behind a step or two. Brittany wrapped her arm in Quinn’s and gave a little skip of giddiness “Did you have a good time, Q?”

“Yeah” Quinn nodded quickly. She was keeping her eyes on her feet so she wouldn’t stare at Rachel ahead of her. “It was a good movie.”

As the girls chatted about the movie on their way out, stopping so Brittany could toss away her trash, Quinn’s mind was wandering. She could still feel Rachel’s fingers on her arm, the heat of her breath on her neck. Just the thought of it made her heart skip a few beats.

“Quinn?” Charlie snapped in her face. The girls were all now standing outside. It was dark out and there was a slight chill in the air. “Can we have a ride home, please? I don’t think the busses are running right now and I don’t want to have to call mom for a ride because she is probably drunk already.”

“Yeah, of course” Quinn said with a shrug as she dug the keys out of her pocket. “Let’s go then. B, am I taking you home?”

“Nah” the girl said with a shrug as she looped her arm with Quinn again “I can stay over if that’s alright.”

“Fine with me” Quinn mumbled as she unlocked the doors to the SUV. “Rachel are you staying again too?”

“Yep” Rachel sang happily as she climbed into the back seat and slid over to let Charlie in as well “My dads are still out of town.”

“Great” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes as she pretended the thought of Rachel staying over again didn’t thrill her. It didn’t, did it? No of course not. It’s not like they would be sleeping together again. A smile creased her lips as she thought about sleeping next to her again causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. How could she get the chance to do that again?

“Hey Rachel you should let me do your hair and give you a manicure tonight” Brittany said with a smile. She was half turned in her seat and facing the girls in the back as Quinn drove “It could be like a real girl sleepover, you know? Maybe we can all sleep in the basement and watch movies on the big screen tonight.”

“Really? You’d want to do that?” Rachel lit up at the thought. She had never been invited into Quinn and Brittany’s little sleepovers. That was mostly because Santana was there too, as well as some of the other Cheerios, and she was pretty sure they all hated her. 

“Of course!” Brittany said with an excited nod before looking to Quinn “Doesn’t that sound fun?” She looked back at Charlie and gave a nod to her as well “You can join too. It will be a nice night together.”

“Sure” Charlie and Quinn both answered in a monotone response together. Rachel let out a soft laugh at the fact that they had done it again. It happened more the more than were together. Brittany let out a little laugh at it again and nodded as she settled back in her seat happy with the plan.

A few minutes later they were pulling into the driveway and piling out of the car. Brittany skipped inside ahead of everyone and headed right to Quinn’s room. The others made their way inside, Quinn heading to her room and Rachel and Charlie to the latter’s room.

As Quinn shut the door behind her, she let out a sigh, and headed to sit on her bed. She took off her shoes and tossed them haphazardly toward her closet. She then got up and went to her dresser to start digging out something to wear to sleep in.

Brittany smiled from where she dug through her own little bag where she had packed some clothes for the night, her eyes on Quinn as she moved. When her friend looked up and caught her gaze and asked what she was starting at, Brittany shrugged and gave her a smile “Nothing I just had a really good day.”

Quinn nodded a bit and pulled out a tshirt and some shorts. She quickly changed right there, not at all shy about it since she changed in front of the other girls on the squad daily in the locker room. She was in her pajamas in no time and pulling up her hair into a messy bun. When she turned and noticed Brittany staring again she rolled her eyes “What?”

Brittany giggled as she braided her hair and tossed it over her shoulder. She had changed into her pajamas much like Quinn had and was now sitting cross legged on the floor watching Quinn again. She just shrugged a little and grinned “You’re welcome.” 

“Welcome?” Quinn arched an eyebrow as she gathered a pillow from her bed and tucked it under her arm “For what?”

“For tonight” Brittany said with a shrug as she climbed to her feet and grabbed a pillow as well.

“What about tonight” Quinn asked as they pulled the door open and the two girls headed down two flights of stairs into the basement. It was a huge basement. Half of it had a few couches and a large screen t.v. as the other side held a game room type of thing. Their father usually spent time in there with some of his business partners during a business meeting but everyone knew that was an excuse for them to smoke cigars, get drunk, and play poker without being interrupted. 

“Inviting Rachel to stay” Brittany said with a shrug as she tossed the pillow on the floor then moved with Quinn to the linen closet to help her pull out blankets for the sleepover.

“What do you mean?” she asked softly, a little more softly than she had meant to. Just the mention of Rachel had made her heart clench in her chest.

“You know” Brittany said with a little nudge with her elbow against Quinn’s side.

“No I don’t. I have no idea what you are talking about.” She rolled her eyes and tried to sound completely clueless but was failing as she blushed at her own words. She took the blanket from Brittany and tossed it so it spread out over the floor.

“Quinn I know that you like-“ She was cut off by giggles as Charlie and Rachel came down the steps holding their own pillows. When Rachel saw the girls already setting up their bed she grinned and hurried over to help.

“So Brittany what color are you going to do my nails?” She asked as she pulled on the corner of a blanket and smoothed it out over the other one.

“I was thinking pink” Brittany said with a little grin. Once all the blankets were spread out, the girls all tossed their pillows near the couches, allowing them to stretch their feet out toward the t.v. to be able to lie down and watch movies.

“Good choice” Rachel said with a hop in her step as she moved over to Brittany. “Quinn, Charlie, I think you two should pick a movie while Brittany and I go get some polish for my nails!” She slid her arm through Brittany’s elbow and gave her a tug to lead her to the steps, heading to the bathroom upstairs where she knew the girls kept most of their makeup.

Quinn was glad they were gone. What the Hell was Brittany talking about? Better yet, how long could she continue to deny it? Her best friend wasn’t always bright but she was definitely perceptive and obviously picked up on something somewhere.

“What do you want to watch?” Charlie asked as she plopped down on the bed and propped herself up on her pillow “I don’t care as long as it’s not RENT again. You always want to watch that.”

“I like that movie” Quinn said with a shrug as she walked over to the wall of dvds near the t.v. She looked at the wall for a minute then decided on 10 Things I Hate About You. She pulled it out and put it into the player before moving back to the makeshift bed and plopped down. She made sure there was room between her and Charlie so she didn’t have to touch her during the movie.

“I think these colors are going to work fabulous together” Rachel said with a nod as she hit the bottom step with Brittany in tow. She had her hands full of a few different colors and Brittany followed with a few tools for the manicure.

The girls plopped down at the foot of the bed, Rachel with her back to the end of the couch near Quinn’s feet and Brittany next to her so she didn’t block the t.v. “Did you guys pick a movie?” Rachel asked with a glance between the girls. 

Quinn gave a nod and she turned on the t.v. She brought up the menu and pressed play on the movie. Rachel gave a little smile when she saw which movie they had picked “Excellent choice” she gave a nod of approval before holding her hand out to Brittany. “Now remember I want the soft pink and not the hot pink.”

Brittany gave her a nod and went to work. The girls fell into another silence as the four of them watched the movie and Brittany worked on Rachel’s nails. Once one hand was finished she set it down to dry and lifted the other. Her hand she had set aside had landed on Quinn’s foot, not having seen her feet stretched out, and she quickly lifted it and looked at her with a frown “Sorry, I didn’t know your feet were there.”

“It’s fine” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes acting as if she hadn’t even noticed. In reality the simple and brief touch had sent a shockwave through her body and she was fighting the shiver wanting to dance through her. Damn it, how did she keep doing that to her body? Stupid Rachel Berry.

Quinn’s focus kept lingering on Rachel instead of the movie. She watched how Brittany and her giggled together. Her best friend really was kind hearted. She smiled at the girls as the manicure eventually wrapped up. Rachel held her hands up and started to blow on her fingers to get them to dry. Suddenly a tingle shot through Quinn at the sight. Every time Rachel’s lips circled and her breath was blown onto her fingers Quinn felt her stomach knot. She drifted off into thoughts about the many things those lips could do to her.

“Quinn do you want one?” Brittany asked softly, breaking up the mental images that were flooding her head at the moment. She quickly shook her head and cleared her throat, giving a smile “No thanks, B. The one you gave me last week is still good.”

Brittany smiled and put everything into the little box of tools, scooting it over toward the wall before crawling up the bed. She looked at Charlie and let out a soft giggle before lifting her finger to her lips “Shhh, she’s asleep.” Sure enough the youngest sister was lying on her side dead asleep. Brittany smiled and settled down next to the girl, laying her head on her own pillow, and scooted under the blankets.

This left a space between Brittany and Quinn for Rachel. Quinn frowned a little bit and looked at her friend with a look that silently asked her what the Hell that was about. Brittany just shrugged and gave her a sly smile before she laid her head back down and settled in on her side. Quinn rolled her eyes and took a breath, turning to look at Rachel who was still blowing on her nails. She bit her lip and the images of those lips and they things they could do filled her thoughts again.

Rachel finally looked up at the bed and perked an eyebrow when she saw the space in the bed left for her. She looked at Quinn and gave her a sheepish smile “I guess they were tired” She said with a shrug as she crawled up the blankets toward her pillow. The image of Rachel crawling toward her like a cat made Quinn’s gut twist. She licked over her lips before she realized it and when Rachel was practically on top of her she had to pull in a deep breath and close her eyes.

Rachel turned quickly and flopped down on her ass, pulling the blankets up over her legs and wiggling down under them. She smiled as she settled on her pillow and glanced at Quinn. She realized her eyes were closed and she couldn’t help but laugh “Quinn? Are you going to sleep sitting up?”

“Huh?” She opened her eyes and blinked a few times before she focused on Rachel lying beside her. When Rachel looked at the empty pillow beside her Quinn quickly nodded and then shook her head instead “No of course not. I’m just…” She reached for the remote and turned off the t.v. the movie having ended a half hour ago and infomercials had been playing in the background. “There we go.”

With the t.v. off the only light was coming from the overhead light over the stairs. It made the room dim and with the makeshift bed between two couches it blocked a lot of the light. That didn’t seem to matter, Quinn could still see Rachel. She could make out her face, her lips, her nose, the way the hair was falling in her face. She took a deep breath and slowly laid down, trying not to brush against Rachel as she did so. Once she was settled on her pillow she let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. 

It was silent for a few moments while the girls all lay there together. Charlie was asleep and Quinn was almost sure Brittany was faking being asleep just so she could overhear whatever Rachel and Quinn said or did. She rolled her eyes at the thought and slowly moved to lie on her side. When she did so she opened her eyes and noticed she was face to face with Rachel now. Her heart skipped again and she quickly scooted her head back as far as she could before it ran into the couch that she was laying her back against.

Rachel smiled a little bit and whispered softly “I’m not going to bite, Quinn. If we accidently touch in the night I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Quinn bit her lip and tried to sound annoyed but it wasn’t quite believable as she whispered, mostly because her voice cracked when she did “You were breathing in my face I had to move.”

Rachel frowned and shut her eyes. She was quiet for a few minutes again before she shrugged and rolled onto her back “I’m sorry for invading your space and your life.”

Quinn sighed and shook her head, rolling onto her stomach and pulling her arm under her head. She stared at the side of Rachel’s face for a minute before her hand reached out, then pulled back, before finally touching at her shoulder “I’m sorry.” She had no explanation for the snide comment about her breathing on her face. So she just rubbed her shoulder a few times then pulled her hand back.

Rachel smiled a little and rolled back toward Quinn. Their eyes met through the darkness and Rachel’s smile held. Quinn’s heart leaped into her throat again and she pulled in a ragged breath to try and stabilize herself again. 

The two of them lie there together for a long time, staring into each other’s eyes. Quinn was fighting her racing pulse and accelerated breathing rate and Rachel was enjoying the fact that Quinn hadn’t called her a name all day. Rachel had no idea how much time had passed before she licked her lips then whispered to break the silence “Are you alright? Your breathing rate is incredibly high and you haven’t stopped fidgeting you fingers this entire time.”

“I’m fine” Quinn said quickly, out of habit, and stopped the movements of her fingers. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, drawing in a long breath before letting it out slowly. When her eyes came open again and met Rachel’s she forced a little smile “Just tired is all.”

Rachel nodded a little bit then took a breath whispered again “Are you sure? Because usually when your body starts to sleep your breathing rate will slow as well as all other systems in your body to promote relaxation and good rest.”

“Rachel” Quinn growled softly and shook her head against the pillow “Shut up. I said I’m tired why can’t you accept that?”

“Sorry” Rachel pouted as her eyes dropping closed and her lip pushing out in a bit of a frown. That look on her face broke Quinn’s heart and she immediately felt guilt for it. 

She sighed and reached a hand out to put a hand on her shoulder again “Sorry.”

“You apologize a lot” Rachel said softly, her eyes coming open and finding a very apologetic looking Quinn. “Usually I don’t believe you but right now I do” Rachel gave her a smile. “I can see it in your eyes you really feel bad.”

Quinn blinked and her eyes shifted around a bit before she looked down. The fact that Rachel could see that in her eyes scared her. What else could she see? So for now her eyes focused on the blankets they were laying under and she shrugged “I get cranky it’s not your fault.” She nodded a bit and lifted her eyes back up slowly. She smiled when Rachel’s gaze was still on her and her breathing hitched again in her throat. Those eyes felt like home.

“I forgive you.” Rachel reached out and put her hand on Quinn’s hand, patting it a few times “Now get some sleep so you aren’t cranky tomorrow.” She grinned and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and settling in to sleep now.

Quinn’s hand was on fire. She could feel Rachel’s fingers touching her again with each little pat. Her eyes focused on her hand and a soft smile came to her lips. She hated the effect Rachel had on her and yet, at the same time, that little tingle was exhilarating. She bit her bottom lip and looked back to Rachel. She watched her for a few minutes and when she was sure the girl had finally drifted off to sleep she closed her own eyes. Today really had been a pretty good day and if she was being honest with herself she was looking forward to waking up next to Rachel for the second straight day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 


	3. One plan with four hearts at stake

The sun was soft as it beamed into the high windows in the basement where the girls lay asleep from the night before. Quinn shifted a bit in her spot and slowly her eyes blinked open. She let out a yawn and rubbed at her eye before she realized she was the first awake. When her eyes finally focused the first thing she saw was Rachel asleep next to her. A smile came to her lips as she watched the girl sleep. She looked peaceful. She had a soft smile on her lips and Quinn wondered what it was she was dreaming about. Slowly her hand lifted and she gently brushed a little sliver of bangs from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear, grinning when Rachel didn’t wake from her touch. Good, she could continue to watch her sleep for a bit longer.

“What the Hell?” Dana’s voice came from behind Quinn and she quickly sat up with wide eyes. She turned to see her pink haired sister sitting on the couch she had had her back to. The color drained from her face when she saw the look her sister was giving her.

“What are you doing here?” Quinn growled out in a whisper, trying not to wake the rest of the girls up.

“I came down to wake you hoes up because mom wants you and Charlie to go to church. But then Santana wanted to snuggle with Chuck so I let her.” She shrugged and motioned to where her friend had squeezed herself between the couch and Charlie and was not so politely wrapped around her completely while the girl slept obliviously next to her.

“Dana that is rude” Quinn huffed and pushed at her blanket, getting to her feet and smoothing out her shirt. “Get her out of here before Charlie wakes up, she is going to flip-“

“What the Hell? Oh my god, Santana! Get the Hell off of me!” Charlie was pushing at Santana’s arms as she tried to scramble out of her grip. She managed to get free, nearly falling over her own feet as stood up. Her brow was creased and she was wiping her hands over herself as if trying to push off the feeling of Santana’s hands on her. “Are you kidding me right now? You are disgusting! You have no respect for anyone!” She stormed off out of the room and up the steps leaving a smirking Santana lying in her spot.

“What’s going on?” Rachel looked between where Charlie had just disappeared and the rest of the girls. She had woken up through the commotion and was now rubbing her eyes looking confused. Brittany was sitting up as well looking even more clueless than Rachel did.

“My sister and her idiot friend had to come and obnoxious like always” Quinn spat as she grabbed her pillow and tucked it under her arm. “I am going to go calm Charlie down before church. Brittany, are you coming with us?”

“Yeah” Brittany yawned and looked over her shoulder to see Santana laying here. She perked an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side curiously “When did you get here, San? Did you sleep here all night?”

“No” Quinn cut off Santana who had opened her mouth to answer “She just molested Charlie for a few minutes.” She looked at Dana and gave her a point “I’m telling mom.”

“Then I’m telling too” She said with a shrug and Quinn looked a bit confused before letting out a soft laugh and shaking her head.

“Tell her what? I’m an angel. Go ahead and tell mom I am getting perfect grades. I am sure she will be pissed.” She huffed sarcastically then started toward the steps but Dana jumped over the back of the couch and stopped her with a little smirk on her lips.

“I ain’t talking about your grades. I’m talking about what I saw you do this morning” Dana was whispering now since Rachel was within ear shot. “What was that all about Quinnie?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Quinn growled and pushed her away to no avail. Dana’s smirk only grew and she looked back to Rachel. She gave her a little bit of a wave before turning back to her sister.

“I must have been mistaken then.” She put her hand to Quinn’s cheek and gave it a few not so friendly taps before stepping away from her and giving her a wink “Have fun at church.”

Quinn huffed and stormed off up the steps leaving the other four alone. Rachel looked between the girls and bit her lip before letting out a sigh “I supposed asking you for a ride home would be inconvenient?” She looked up at Dana, almost afraid the girl was going to snap at her. 

“No problem” Dana said with a smirk, surprising both Rachel and Santana. She shrugged a bit and looked at Brittany with a wink “It’s the right thing to do, right?”

Brittany nodded, seemingly liking the nice gesture from the girl “That is really nice of you Dana!” She got up off the floor and smoothed out her pajamas before looking at the other three. “But I have to go get ready for church so I will see you guys later!” With that the blonde skipped off and up the steps. 

Rachel was left sitting between the pink haired sister and the meanest of all the cheerleaders and suddenly she felt uncomfortable. She bit her lip and glanced back and forth between the two. Dana had a little smirk on her lips which was not a good sign. Rachel got up from the floor and gave a little smile “Well then I suppose I should go gather my things and change into some real clothes before you take me home.”

“Take your time” Dana said with a little playful wave at the girl as she moved up the steps and out of the basement. She laughed to herself softly and shook her head before looking back to Santana. When she caught her eyes she shook her head and tossed a pillow at her “Did you have to grope her?”

Santana shrugged and tossed the pillow back with a laugh “Thought I’d take my chance.”

“You know I should kick your ass, right?”

“Yeah but then you’d have to find someone else to put up with you and you’re too lazy for that.” Santana shrugged and got up from the floor now. 

“True” Dana motioned for her to follow “Let’s go get some food then give Berry a ride home.”

“I’m not even gonna ask” Santana said with a roll of her eyes, laughing a bit “But you are going to have to fill me in on whatever you have going on.”

“All in good time” Dana assured her with a laugh as the girls headed up the steps together, pushing and shoving as they went.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

It was lunch on Monday and McKinley and as per usual Rachel and Charlie were at a table alone. The noise from the chattering and eating all around them had become comfortable over the two years at the school. It was nice to have that bit of regularity that high school didn’t often offer to its patrons.  Rachel liked it. Maybe it was weird but it was nice to know that no matter what happened every day they would always have the droning in the lunch room.

It didn’t last long, though, as their peaceful lunch hour was once more interrupted by Dana. The girl plopped down on the bench near Rachel and slid her arm around her shoulder with a grin “Hey ladies, what’s shaking?”

“We’re trying to eat in peace” Charlie mumbled as she lifted her sandwich to her mouth and took a bite as her eyes focused on the book she was reading. “Where’s your rapist of a friend?”

“Don’t tell me you are still upset about that” Dana rolled her eyes with a bit of a chuckle “Don’t worry she’s not going to do it again. I punched her in the stomach for it.”

“Really?” Rachel and Charlie both looked at the girl with shock on their faces.

Dana looked at the girls both and shook her head “Nah” She laughed out softly and took her arm off Rachel, turning to face her on the bench. “But look, I gotta talk to you Rachel.” She glanced up at Charlie and nodded her head “Privately please?”

“What?” Charlie looked at her sister and shook her head “No way you’ll probably give her a mega wedgie or something if I leave.”

“Oh come on” Dana rolled her eyes “Give me a minute. I promise if I do anything to your precious little friend you can tell mom I smoke weed.”

“She already knows” Charlie said with a shrug, putting a book mark in her book and closing it now. She looked at Rachel and studied her face for a moment, arching her eyebrow in silent asking if she wanted her to leave. When Rachel glanced between the two sisters then gave a nod, Charlie just shrugged and got off the bench “Fine. I’m going to get a cookie. You want anything Rach?” 

Rachel shook her head quickly “No thank you” She smiled at her friend who seemed unenthusiastic about leaving her but did anyway. She took her tray and left the table, dumping it in the trash before heading to the line at the vending machine.  Finally Rachel turned back to Dana and gave her a nervous smile before sliding away from her a bit on the bench “Now, Dana, how may I help you?”

“Quinn” Brittany reached out and gave her friend’s shoulder a little nudge. “What are you looking at?”

“I wonder what they are talking about” Quinn said softly, her eyes narrowing a bit as she watched her sister and Rachel talk across the lunch room at the table. She had noticed her sister approach them and her gut had immediately twisted. She couldn’t be telling her about what she had seen at the sleep over, right?

“Maybe she is asking her for help on her homework” Brittany shrugged her shoulder and looked back at her food, munching on a fry as her eyes drifted back to the table. She was quiet for a moment before giving Quinn another nudge “Why are you so worried about what Dana is saying to Rachel?”

“Because” She looked over at her friend and shrugged “You know my sister, she is pure evil.” She looked at Brittany with a lingering look before turning to look back at the table across the room.

“You never care what she does to anyone else.” Brittany said in a whisper, fighting a smile before eating another fry. She watched the way Quinn so intently watched the girls and after a minute she cleared her throat “Do you want me to ask what happened?”

“Would you?” Quinn turned around quickly, her eyes lighting up with hope. When she realized she had done that, she cleared her throat and shifted her eyes a bit before shrugging “I mean, you know, just so I can know and be prepared for any bitching Charlie might do about whatever Dana did to Rachel.” Yeah, that was a good cover. Totally believable. 

“Sure” Brittany said with a smile, finishing off her fries, and wiping her hands “I’ll ask Rachel in last period.”

“Thanks” Quinn offered a smile before looking at her plate. She gave a nod and slowly lifted a fry to her lips to chew on. Soon she would know what her sister was up to. Dana couldn’t get anything past her, she was always a step ahead.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Hey Rach” Brittany smiled as she slid into the desk next to her before the class started. Rachel looked around a bit confused then to the blonde and gave a slow nod before looking back to her notebook.

“You do realize you are on time to class? Even more so, you are actually in class today?” She looked up slowly and over to the girl, offering her a soft smile “Why have you chosen to grace us with your presence today?” It wasn’t that Rachel wasn’t pleased to see her it was just odd. The girl never showed up to class. She forgot most days that the two shared the class. It wasn’t until the night before test days that Rachel ever saw the girl and that was usually to cram for the test at the last moment.

Brittany looked a little guilty at the fact that Rachel had called her out. She wasn’t the great of a liar so she wouldn’t even try. She shrugged her shoulders and scooted her desk a little closer to Rachel, lowering her voice so only Rachel could hear “I saw you talking to Dana at lunch. You two seemed to be having a long talk and, well, I wanted to know what you guys talked about?”

“Why?” Rachel said with a shrug, shaking her head as she looked back at her with a curious look.

“Well you know Dana hasn’t always been nice to you so I was just making sure she wasn’t trying to bully you or something.” That was the truth for the most part. Brittany was concerned too but this had been all Quinn’s idea.

“She was lovely” Rachel mumbled very casually, lifting a single shoulder in a light shrug. Her eyes stayed on her paper for a long moment as her smile grew at the recalling of the conversation in her mind. After a moment she looked at Brittany and gave a cute little half shrug and a shy smile “She actually asked me out?”

“What?” Brittany looked completely shocked at that. She furrowed her brows and thought about it for a long time before looking back to Rachel with a shake of her head “Dana wants to go out on a date with you?”

Rachel nodded quickly, biting her bottom lip trying to fight a smile “That’s what she said! She said she was so mean to me because she had a crush on me and now she wanted to take me out and show me a good time and see where it goes.”

Brittany nodded slowly and her eyes shifted as she thought about what Rachel had said. Why would Dana ask her out? She opened her mouth to ask another question but was stopped with the teacher walking into the room and asking everyone to take their seats. Brittany scooted her desk back into place and propped her head up on her hand. This just got super confusing.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Did you find out what they talked about?” Quinn asked Brittany almost as soon as she walked into the Cheerios locker room after school. She looked a bit more eager than she would have liked to but she could just play it off as concern, right?

Brittany shrugged a little bit and gave her head a shake “Rachel wouldn’t tell me I guess it was a secret or something? But she didn’t seem sad so I don’t think it was bad.” She didn’t want to lie to Quinn but she didn’t want to tell her the truth either. She didn’t want her to get hurt so until she could figure out what Dana was up to she was just going to play dumb. She could do that without even trying.

“Nothing?” Quinn looked disappointed as she sat down now and started to tie her shoes for practice “But you said she wasn’t upset?”

“No she didn’t say that but she didn’t seem upset. She smiled so I guess that can just be considered a good thing right?” She shrugged and dropped her bag before leaning over to pull out her pom poms. She looked up at Quinn and offered a smile “Maybe they are planning something nice for you or something? Like a surprise party for your birthday!”

“We have the same birthday, B” Quinn said with a shake of her head, rolling her eyes “And Dana hasn’t done anything nice for anyone but herself in years. Maybe she is just tricking Rachel into trusting her so she can pull the ultimate prank.” She shrugged, trying to seem uninterested but in reality she was worried. She definitely did not trust her sister and though she would never admit it she did not want to see Rachel publicly humiliated by her. Putting her foot down after tying her laces, she stood now and straightened out her skirt “I don’t trust her. I am going to talk to her at home tonight and see if I can get inside her head. But for now” She gave a clap and smiled before walking to the front of the room. She got everyone’s attention then pointed to the door that leads to the field “Five minutes girls! Don’t be late!” With that she grabbed her pom poms and trotted out the door to start practice.

Brittany sighed and stood up as well, checking herself in the mirror, before she headed toward the field as well. She would have to get to Dana before Quinn. Maybe she could figure out why Dana had asked her on a date and better yet convince her not to so Quinn wouldn’t be hurt by it. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Hey Dana” Brittany called after the girl as she walked out of the Cheerios locker room after practice. She had skipped the shower that most of the girls took and quickly slipped out as soon as Quinn had gone to wash up. She didn’t have much time but she had to talk to the girl.

Dana looked a bit annoyed at someone calling her name but as soon as she turned and saw it was Brittany her face softened and she actually smiled “What’s up, Brit?” She asked with a now cocky smirk on her face as her bag was slung over her shoulder “Where’s Quinn?”

“Cleaning up” She stopped in front of the girl and looked her over curiously. Shaking her head she looked into her eyes and whispered softly “Why?”

Dana shivered slightly at the look Brittany gave her. She had such amazing eyes and the intensity in them at the moment gave her goosebumps. She stared for a few seconds before realizing she was doing it and quickly trying to cover it with a soft ‘pft’ sound and a roll of her eyes “Why what?”

“Why did you ask Rachel out?” Brittany was still whispering. Her face looked visibly upset now and her arms folded across her chest.

Dana smirked at the mention of the date. There was that mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked at Brittany now and gave a shrug “Because I knew it would piss Quinn off. She is so all over Berry. The other morning before you guys woke up I saw her watching her sleep and she even like…brushed her fingers through her hair. It’s weird but I don’t care. I just wanna get under her skin.”

“Why?” She bit at her bottom lip and shook her head as she looked at the girl with sad eyes “Why do you want to be so mean to your sister? Don’t you want her happy?”

“No. Why should I care about her?”

“She’s your sister. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Brittany pushed out her bottom lip in a pout, a pout that made Dana’s heart leap. Damn the girl could be adorable.

Dana sighed and rolled her eyes at that, trying to act annoyed again, as if she didn’t care about the situation at all. “What has Quinn ever done for me?”

Brittany shrugged “Does it matter? Why not just be nice to her and maybe she would be nice to you, too?” When Dana shook her head quickly at that idea Brittany held up her finger to silence her and took a deep breath “Look she is my best friend and I would do whatever for my best friend so just let me know what I can do to get you to not go out with Rachel. I will do anything.”

“Anything?” Dana, who had been leaning against the wall, now pushed off and stood a bit more upright. When Brittany nodded at that, her face lit up and she slowly gave a once over to her before nodding “You go out with me instead.”

“Me” Brittany looked a little surprised, and then she blushed, before she shook her head “Why do you want to go on a date with me?”

Dana shrugged and reached out, sliding her finger through her blonde hair lightly “You said anything. Don’t ask questions. Yes or no?”

Brittany took a deep breath and thought it over for a moment. If it would get Dana away from Rachel and wouldn’t hurt Quinn then she would do it. She finally nodded and looked to the girl in front of her “Alright fine I will go out with you instead. Just stay away from Rachel?”

“Deal” She gave a little wink and slid her arm around Brittany’s shoulders “But now I got me a dilemma.”

“What?” Brittany asked softly, looking at her feet as the two girls started to move down the hallway together.

“I can’t cancel my date with Rachel without reason. So I either gotta lie to her or we got to find her another date.”

Brittany thought about it a moment before her eyes lifted and she looked into Dana’s eyes with a bright smile “Charlie can take her out! We can have like a double date?”

“No way” She paused and took her arm off her shoulders “That’s not a date that is Charlie and Rachel hanging out like always while we are on a date.”

Brittany nodded her head slowly then looked back to the floor to think some more. She lifted a finger to her teeth and started to chew on it lightly as ideas bounced around her head. There had to be a way to get out of this so Quinn wasn’t hurt, Rachel wasn’t hurt, and Dana didn’t pull out whatever hideous thing she had planned. After a moment she stopped and looked up with another smile “What if I brought Quinn? Say it was like a double date thing?”

Dana shook her head a little bit and shrugged “Not gonna work, babe. That means I still have to tell Rachel I can’t be her date. Then I’m gonna show up to our non-date with another girl?”

Brittany frowned and slumped her shoulders, pausing to lean into the wall, looking defeated. She crossed her arms over her chest and took in a deep breath. Her face twisted in thought and after a long time she looked back up and shrugged “There is no way out of this is there? You can’t cancel ‘cause you will hurt Rachel’s feelings but if you go out with her it will hurt Quinn’s feelings.”

Dana shrugged but her face showed she definitely had no problem with the fact that she would be hurting Quinn by going out with her. “I guess Quinn is going to have to deal with it.”

“What if I told Rachel not to go?” Brittany sputtered out quickly, smiling at the thought “I can convince her to cancel on you. Then you don’t hurt her and you don’t hurt Quinn.”

“Lame” Dana shrugged and shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other. 

“Why do you want to hurt Quinn?” Brittany huffed, starting to grow frustrated with the situation.

“It’s what I do” Dana said with a shrug as she pushed her hand through her nasty pink hair. “Nothing would make me happier than to see Quinn squirming.”

Brittany frowned at that, shaking her head a bit. She loved her little sister, she could never imagine being rude to her. Folding her arms, she pushed off the wall and shook her head “Please just reconsider this. I will do anything you want.”

“Go out with me” Dana repeated her request from earlier with a smile on her face.

“I can’t, not when you already have a date with Rachel.”

“Then go out with me after I go out with Rachel.” Dana shrugged with her eyes on her hand where she played with a ring on her finger.

“But if you go out with Rachel in the first place you’ll hurt Quinn. That is the point I am trying to avoid.” Brittany heard the Cheerios locker room door open just down the hallway and her heart jumped. She bit at her lip and looked at Dana with pleading eyes. “Tell Rachel you just wanted to go out as friends. I’ll bring Quinn, we can double date as friends. That way no one gets hurts then you can have your date with me later.”

Dana eyed the girl for a moment before slowly nodding and giving a shrug “Fine. I guess I never said it would be a romantic date anyway. I’ll tell Berry I meant as friends.”

“Thank you” She grinned brightly just as Quinn caught up with the two of them. She looked between her sister and her friend, rolling her eyes before sliding her arm through Brittany’s arm.

“Let’s go to the car, Britt.” She glanced at her sister and narrowed her eyes a little “I am surprised Dana hasn’t left us here already. We all know how much she loves doing that when it’s her turn to drive.”

“Well if you weren’t such a cranky bitch in the morning I wouldn’t have the urge to leave you” Dana shrugged as she spun the keys on her finger now “Besides, I can’t leave without Santana.”

“And us” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes as she and Rachel joined the group now. They had just come from their poetry club meeting together. “Speaking of, where is Santana? I have a lot of homework today.”

“You rang, baby?” Santana slid up behind Charlie with a smirk, giving her a nudge with her hips “You called and I came. Don’t you like the power you have over me?”

Charlie just rolled her eyes and stepped away from Santana, her arms folding across her chest firmly. Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head but when her eyes fell on Dana her lips curled into a smile “How was detention?” 

“The usual” Dana shrugged before looking at the girls “Now that the family is together can we get a move on? I got plans tonight.” No one seemed to question that statement since Dana had plans every night. Usually the included some sort of illicit activity but tonight was different. As the group headed toward the parking lot, Dana hung back a bit and grabbed Rachel’s arm to slow her down. They dropped behind the group and when they were pretty much alone Dana spoke softly “Look about tonight? I hope you know I meant like, you know, just friends.”

Rachel’s face dropped for a moment. She had thought it was a date. But she couldn’t let that disappointment show so she quickly put on a smile and nodded “Of course, Dana. I appreciate the offer to hang out and get to know me better since I am your sister’s friend. Why would it be a date?”

“Right” Dana nodded, sliding her arm around Rachel now and leaning into her as they walked “Thanks for being so cool about this. Meet me at the stix at six?”

“Yeah” Rachel forced a smile and let out a little sigh “I can’t wait.” Dana gave her a nudge and ran off to catch the rest of the group and unlock the vehicle for the group. Rachel frowned and looked at her feet as she walked. How could she be so stupid as to think that anyone would want to date her? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“You alright?” Charlie asked as she held the chair up for Rachel to slide into the back of the suv.

“Fine” Rachel said with a little nod. “Just had a long day” She settled into her seat and put her seatbelt on as everyone else settled in. She looked at Charlie as the girl sat next to her, offering a little smile “I think I am just going to do my homework at home tonight.”

Charlie nodded slowly, deciding not to question her friend. Instead she leaned up and tapped Brittany on the shoulder “Will you inform Dana that Rachel is not coming home with us so she needs to stop by the Berry’s?”

Brittany looked back and saw the look on Rachel’s face and frowned. She had tried to avoid her getting hurt but she had failed. She sighed softly and nodded at Charlie before turning back around. It’s alright it would pay off in the long run. “Dana” She said as she leaned forward “Rachel needs to go home today.”

“Aye aye captain” Dana said with a smirk as she zipped out of the spot and toward the road. She was a horrible driver and everyone was a little bit on edge every time she was behind the wheel. It was kind of a miracle any time they managed to get out of the car alive.

One by one each girl was dropped off until it was down to Rachel and the Fabray’s. When Dana pulled up to the Berry household with a jolted stop, she turned and grinned at Rachel “See ya later, Berry!”

“Yeah” Rachel said with a nod as she climbed out of the back row and onto the sidewalk. She turned and gave a wave to Charlie then offered Quinn a smile before looking at Dana “Thank you for the ride.” With that she pushed the door closed and headed inside.

“See you later?” Quinn asked with a perked eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She’s Chuck’s friend, we see her all the time. Get your head outta your ass.” Dana rolled her eyes then took off with a screech of her wheels. Charlie just shook her head in the back row and focused on her book.  The three sisters sat in silence for the rest of the ride and as soon as they got home they climbed out and parted ways immediately. Happy family did not exactly describe them. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	4. One fight, one deal, two falls

“Just come with me, Charlie” Rachel whined through the phone as she held up a clean sweater from her closet in attempt to change from what she had worn to school that day.

“Why did you even say yes to a date with my sister in the first place?” Charlie rolled her eyes on the other end of the phone as she sat on the bed finishing her homework “Are you even gay, Rachel?”

“I don’t know” She said softly as a blush crept to her cheeks. “She was the first person to ever ask me on a date. I guess I’m open to the idea. Why does that even matter?”

“It doesn’t. I am more disturbed about the fact that you said yes to a date with my sister. Dana of all people. I don’t think she showers, Rach.”

“Well it’s not a date, Charlie. Besides, what type of girl do you think I am? I wouldn’t have gotten close enough to her to know if she showers or not. Not on a first date. I am a lady.”

“But Dana’s not” Charlie rolled off her bed and got to her feet. She was digging through her backpack near her door, looking for another pencil. “She probably would have stuffed her tongue down your throat whether you said yes or not.”

“Well it doesn’t matter because apparently I was mistaken and it was a friend invite, not a date. Now it’s going to be awkward so will you please just come with me?” Rachel had her back to her mirror, checking the hem of her skirt to make sure it didn’t ride too high. She did not want to give the wrong impression, especially now that she knew it was just a friend date.

Charlie rolled her eyes and stood up. She leaned against her dresser, her back to the door, shaking her head a little bit “I don’t want to go. If I wanted to hang out with my sister I would do it here. You are just going to have to go alone and bite the bullet.”

“What if I invite someone else? Or you can. Invite Brittany or even Quinn. That way it’s a group thing and I don’t feel so stupid.”

“You should feel stupid anyway” She mumbled softly but before Rachel could scoff at her she sighed into the phone “Fine, I’ll go but you owe me.”

“I love you” Rachel squealed happily from her end of the phone “You can pick our Saturday activity for the next month.”

“Fine, but you better not complain.” Charlie shrugged and moved back to her bed, crawling back over her book and flopping down again. “Call Brittany and ask if she wants to come that way there is at least one more of us for Dana to pick on in public.”

“You got it” Rachel nodded at herself in the mirror then glanced at the clock near her bed. “I’ll meet you guys there in an hour. I have to call Brittany so I’ll see you then.” She quickly hung up the phone then switched to her purple unicorn sweater before picking up her phone to call Brittany.

“Yeah I’ll see y-“ She was cut off by Rachel hanging up. She rolled her eyes and tossed her phone to the side, shaking her head as she settled in to finish her homework. She better get it done now before her evening was taken over with an awkward friend only dinner outing with her sister and her best friend. This was going to be thrilling.

Dana stood just outside Charlie’s bedroom door, having been eavesdropping on her phone call when she had gotten up for a new pencil. She stood against the wall with her arms folded and her eyes narrowed in thought. Charlie was coming? Well that would make things unbalanced. She had better invite Santana along, too. Mostly because she just wanted to see her little sister squirm as Santana hit on her all night. A soft laugh left her lips as she pushed off the wall and headed toward her room to call her best friend.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“I thought it was a date” Brittany said into the phone, trying to act surprised at what Rachel was telling her about Dana, but secretly letting out a sigh of relief that the girl had listened to her and backed off Rachel. “Well are you sure you want me to come still? What if it turns romantic?”

“I invited Charlie, too” Rachel said with a shrug as she combed her hair in the mirror as she spoke into the phone “I didn’t want it to be awkward but Charlie said she didn’t want to hang out with just me and Dana so would you please come too?”

Brittany thought about it for a moment while putting a card down in the stack in the middle. She covered the phone with her hand and pointed at her cat “It’s your turn, Tubbs.” The cat was lying across from her on her bed looking rather bored with a hand of cards dealt out in front of him. After a moment, Brittany shrugged and went back to the phone “I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to hang out with you guys tonight. I’m not doing anything else.”

“You’re not hanging out with Quinn?” Rachel sounded surprised at that. Those two were almost as inseparable as Dana and Santana were.

“Not that I know of, unless I made plans with her during my nap I take in math, then I might. But she hasn’t called me yet.”

Rachel laughed softly to herself and pinned back her soft curls. She looked in the mirror at herself again then nodded a bit. She looked very nice and very much like a friend and not a date. “Well maybe you should invite her too. The more the merrier.”

“Are you sure?” Brittany asked softly, trying to sound unsure, but in reality she was excited. This was a good time for Quinn and Rachel to hang out outside of school. If Quinn wouldn’t make the move then Brittany would make it for her. When Rachel assured her it was fine, she gave a nod against the phone “Alright I will call her then. Either way I will see you there shortly.”

“Seven sharp, don’t be late. I will get a table for five. See you later!” She hung up her phone and tossed it on the bed befor stepping back and doing a twirl in front of the mirror. Even if it wasn’t a date, she felt great! Her social standings were slowly climbing. A group dinner outing with three cheerleaders and the school’s notorious bad girl? Although not the best image, yet, it was an image boost from her previous standing and who knew who might see her out and start talking. Maybe soon she would be popular. Or at least high enough to avoid slushies in the face.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Hi Brittany” Rachel said with a grin as she saw the blonde girl approaching the table. It was already ten after seven, but Rachel expected them all to be late, they always were. Brittany was the first to arrive, surprisingly, and took her seat across the table from Rachel. “Are you alone?”

“Yeah” She said with a nod and a smile “Quinn said she would just come with her sisters. My parents were coming downtown for dinner anyway so I asked them to drop me off.”

“Oh so you talked Quinn into coming?” When Brittany gave Rachel a nod, she smiled “That is excellent. We will have a splendid time tonight.”

“Sup bitches” Santana said with a smirk as she shrugged a light jacket off her shoulders and hung it on the hook mounted on the wall just to the side of their table.

“Santana, what are you doing here?” Rachel eyed the girl, more than shocked to see her, and it showed on her face. Brittany sank into her chair and avoided eye contact. She was still horrified from the blow up in the yard over the weekend.

“Dana invited me. She said Charlie was coming and I jumped on board.” She glanced at the seats around the small round table and took a chair one spot from Rachel and one spot from Brittany. She looked up at the blonde and gave her an almost sad smile “Hey, B.”

“Hi San” She whispered softly, lifting her eyes to look at her ex. It was weird to not be around her as much as she used to be but it just hurt too much. “I’m glad you came.”

“Me too” Santana had that look on her face, the soft smile and the gentle gaze, the one that only Brittany could make her have. It was different now, though. There was pain and regret in it. Rachel watched the two girls in that moment and wondered what had changed.

The awkwardness was broken up by the arrival of the triplets. Quinn was lecturing Dana about how idiotic it was to speed because if she got in trouble the car would be taken away from all of them. They stopped their bickering though as soon as they walked up to the table and saw not only Santana there, since Dana was the only one who knew she was coming, but the seating arrangement that was left for them.

Without hesitating, Dana took the seat between Santana and Brittany. It looked like she was sitting by her best friend but really she just wanted to be close to Brittany. 

“Chuck sit here” Santana said with a pat to the seat at her left and Charlie rolled her eyes. She could just scoot her seat closer to Rachel if Santana got too handsy. So she sat down and immediately scooted toward Rachel, giving her friend a glare.

“I didn’t know she was coming but be nice” Rachel whispered quickly, offering Santana a smile when she looked at the girl curiously.

“Two months, Rachel” Charlie gritted through her teeth. “If I have to put up with her all night I want two months of Saturday activities.”

“Fine” Rachel said sharply before looking up at Quinn who was still standing. She was eyeing the seat between Rachel and Brittany cautiously, almost like she wasn’t sure she should sit there. Dana smirked at that. She could see how close Quinn was to busting into a frustrated blush.

“Come on, sit!” Brittany patted the chair to her right and gave her friend a smile. Quinn glanced at Rachel, then Brittany, then sighed and sat down. She was just taking the only seat left. Yes, that was it. She was in no way happy to be sitting by Rachel. Not at all.

“So” Rachel chimed in once everyone was settled, her smile bright as she looked at each face around the table. “I am so glad we could all make it. I would like to thank Dana since this was her idea.”

Quinn, seemingly the only one who hadn’t known of this plan until just then, looked at her sister in surprise but Dana shook her head “Nah. I mean I thought maybe Rachel and I should get to know each other better since she’s Chuck’s friend and all but I guess the more the merrier.”

“Stop calling me Chuck” Charlie mumbled from behind her menu. “And your intention was to take Rachel on a date but then you changed your mind, remember? Now we are all here because no one wanted to feel awkward.”

“A date?” Quinn’s heart leaped into her throat and for a split second she actually looked hurt. Then a wave of anger slid over her features. She glared at her sister and in that moment they shared a silent look that said more than any of the other girls might know, except Charlie, but she was too busy reading her menu. When Dana saw the look Quinn gave her, she smirked. Oh yeah, she had definitely gotten under her skin with that.

“No, I misunderstood” Rachel clarified to Quinn softly, putting a hand on her arm as she spoke. “I thought Dana had asked me out, it was shocking to me too don’t worry, but when she clarified that she had meant just as friends it made more sense.”

“Oh” Quinn nodded at Rachel but her eyes were on Rachel’s hand on her arm. There were those tingles again. Every little inch of Rachel that touched her caused sparks to shoot through her body. “Well I am glad that got clarified.” She cast a quick glare to her sister because she knew just by looking at her Dana had done it to piss her off but the look faded when Rachel looked up from her menu and she quickly put on a smile for her.

“So what are we all having?” Rachel asked with in a cheerful tone before the group quieted and started to read over their menus. In a matter of minutes the server had come by to take their orders and soon the girls were all sipping on their respective drinks and making small talk with one another. It was, so far, a pleasantly peaceful evening.

Meals were delivered and talking ceased for a while to make room for food being devoured. Everyone seemed content for the most part. Rachel noticed how slowly Quinn was eating and she wondered if she was feeling alright. “Is everything okay?” She asked in a whisper, putting her hand against the outside of her leg as she leaned over, her touch was tender and caring as she checked on her friend.

Quinn nearly choked when Rachel touched her leg. As innocent as the intentions behind it might have been on Rachel’s side, the sparks it sent through Quinn were almost unbearable. It had been like a sneak attack of hormones and her eyes went wide as she started to cough on the bite she had in her mouth.

Everyone looked at Quinn when she suddenly burst out coughing and Rachel’s eyes went the widest as she looked on it horror “Oh goodness Quinn, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you while you were eating!”

“Startle? What the Hell did you do, slip her a finger Berry?” Dana smirked at her comment before slurping up a noodle.

“Don’t be disgusting” Charlie snapped at her sister before looking at Rachel.

“No, no, I just asked her if everything was alright and I guess she wasn’t expecting it and it scared her.”

“I’m fine” Quinn croaked through coughs before reaching for her soda to wash down the burning. Sucking spaghetti down the wrong tube did not feel great. Her eyes were watering and her face was a bit red, but she had finally started breathing again now that the noodle was out of the way.

“So sorry” Rachel shook her head, reaching around to rub at her back, giving it a few light pats. “Are you okay now though?”

“I am fine, Rachel” Quinn repeated with a shake of her head, wiping at her mouth with her napkin before looking at the girl. She wanted to snap at her but the concern in her eyes nearly melted her heart. Her scowl faded and her features softened as she nodded “It was an accident. But, yes, everything is fine thank you.”

“Okay good” Rachel frowned a little, pulling her hand back, and looking at her plate. She felt as if she had just upset Quinn and she didn’t even know how.

“Get your hand off my leg, Santana, so help me god I will break your fingers.” Charlie whipped her head to the right and glared at the girl who had a smirk on her lips.

Santana pulled her hand away and raised it above the table in a sort of surrender “Sorry it was an accident. I was just checking to make sure everything was alright.” Her tone was soft and airy, much like Rachel’s, and she even batted her eyes for effect. Rachel rolled her eyes at being mocked as Santana dropped her hands and chuckled to herself.

Dana leaned over toward Brittany and whispered low enough for only her to hear over the sound of Charlie lecturing Santana on personal space “How’s your food?”

“Yummy” The blonde said with a grin. She gathered a bite on her fork then lifted it toward Dana “Do you want to try?” The offer was so genuine, so innocent, and her face was lit up with joy at the prospect of sharing.

Dana blinked a little, kind of surprised by the offer, but she nodded anyway “Hell yeah” She said with a grin and opened her mouth for Brittany to feed her the bite. Once she took it, she chewed it slowly, and her gaze fixed on Brittany as she did. The blonde was watching, anticipating her reaction, and once she swallowed she licked her lips “That’s damn good, Britt.”

Brittany lit up at the approval and went back to her food. Everyone else was staring at Dana, well Santana was more like glaring, but the girl just shrugged “She offered me a bite.”

Santana huffed and folded her arms across her chest after throwing down her napkin. She rolled her eyes and pursed out her lips as her eyes narrowed in a fixed stare at her friend. It was the stare you never wanted to get from Santana Lopez. It was as sharp as the razor blades that were rumored to reside in her hair.

“What?” Dana huffed softly, leaning now toward her friend to speak to her in a low tone “She offered me a bite.”

“You didn’t have to take it. You can tell Brittany no” Santana rolled her eyes again and pushed at her plate, causing it to clink into her glass.

“Like you did?” Dana hissed into her ear. That sent Santana over the edge. She pushed out of her chair so fast it tipped backwards and fell onto the floor. She reached around Charlie and Rachel to grab her jacket and pulled it on quickly before turning and pointing at Dana “You just don’t get it, do you?” She turned to the rest of the table, opened her mouth to say something, but caught Brittany’s eyes and stopped. She stared at her a moment then shook her head quickly and gave another roll of her eyes “Screw this I’m out of here.”

As she stormed off, Rachel’s eyes went wide and she slowly looked at Dana, then Brittany. Dana looked about as annoyed as Rachel had ever seen and Brittany looked guilty. The blonde hung her head and poked her fork randomly at bits on her plate. Quinn looked between her friend and her sister before sighing and rubbing Brittany’s shoulder in a silent comforting.

“Isn’t anyone going to go check on her?” Rachel asked after a moment. Charlie shrugged glad she wasn’t being groped anymore. Dana shook her head and waved a hand to the side as if to say let her go. Quinn was too busy making sure Brittany was alright. Rachel rolled her eyes and stood up slowly, placing her napkin next to her plate “Well then if you will excuse me I will be back.” She gave each of them a fake, annoyed smile, and then pushed past the table toward the door.

“Santana wait up” Rachel called as she pushed through the doors and entered the parking lot. Luckily Santana had gotten as far as the street before she realized she had no ride home. Rachel smiled when she realized the girl hadn’t left and slowly she approached her, not really sure how this would go seeing as the two girls had never really talked. Santana was usually the one throwing the slushy in Rachel’s face, actually.

“What do you want, hobbit?” Santana mumbled as she stood near a bus stop just outside the parking lot of the restaurant.

Rachel bit her lip and folded her arms loosely over her chest, suddenly unaware of what she wanted to say. How did she approach this? They weren’t exactly friends. What if Santana blew up at her and hated her even more than she did now? What had she been thinking?

“Well?” Santana snapped, turning finally to look at the girl who had followed her. She eyed her up and down and rolled her eyes. What an ugly fucking sweater she was wearing.

“Um” Rachel unfolded her arms then shrugged as she took a step closer and drew in a deep breath “Are you alright? You just seemed really upset and I don’t know what happened and you probably won’t tell me and that’s fine you have that right but you just stormed out of there and I wanted to make sure you were alright.” She got that all out in one breath and was now chewing her bottom lip as she stared hopefully up at the girl.

Santana looked her up and down once, shrugged, and then turned to look at the traffic again “Whatever, Berry. Dana is such a bitch. I should be used to it by now.”

Rachel nodded slowly then dared another step forward. She reached out and nearly touched Santana’s shoulder but pulled her hand back. She looked at the girl’s back to her then steeled her nerves and put her hand there anyway, trying to comfort the girl “Why are you friends if she is such a bitch to you?”

“I don’t care if she’s a bitch. Most times I think she is hilarious” Santana shrugged and pushed Rachel’s hand off her shoulder. Rachel frowned and pulled her hand back, folding them together in front of her. Santana sighed and wrapped her hand around the poll that the bus stop sign sat on. The two girls stood there in silence for a long time, just the sound of horns and engines from cars filling the air around them. Just as Rachel turned to leave, deciding this had been an idiotic idea, Santana spoke again “It’s just hard.”

“What is?” Rachel asked timidly, turning again to face the girl even if it was just her back she was looking at.

“Dana likes Brittany” She said with a shrug, now turning to look at Rachel. She turned and leaned her shoulder against the poll, folding her arms, and crossing her legs as she stood there. “I don’t know what to do because the thought of Brittany moving on feels like a stab to my gut.”

“But you’ve moved on. You are all over Charlie practically anytime she is within arm’s reach of you.” Rachel shook her head slightly and folded her arms again as she studied the girl in front of her. She was trying to read her, trying to understand what happened without Santana having to say a word.

“Look I like Charlie a lot, yeah, but I loved Brittany you know?” She looked up now and caught Rachel’s eyes. She realized that was the first time she had told anyone that. Not even Dana had heard those words.

Rachel’s heart tightened and she bit at her bottom lip to fight a smile from coming to her lips. She did not want to give off any sign of emotion and cause Santana to retreat. So she just nodded her head and reached out to touch her arm, relieved when Santana didn’t pull out of her touch this time “But something happened and you let her go. If you let her go you have to be willing to let her move on as well.”

“With my best friend?” Santana nearly yelled in frustration at that and her eyes filled with hurt again. She bit at her bottom lip and her forehead wrinkled as she fought off wanting to cry. She clenched her jaw and shook her head “Isn’t there some rule against that shit?”

“I wouldn’t know” Rachel admitted with a shrug, her eyes down cast to her feet for a moment. “I’ve never had an ex or a best friend so this situation is new to me.”

Santana rolled her eyes and was about to say something rude but she stopped herself. Rachel had come to check on her, the least she could do was be civil to her. So instead she shrugged and stood up right now, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “So what do you think I should do, Rachel?”

Rachel shrugged because at first she had no solution. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have loved your best friend then lost them in what Rachel could only assume was a dramatic fashion. Then to have to see them constantly and hang out with them mixed with her new best friend wanting her old lover? Rachel couldn’t fathom what Santana was feeling. But the girl was looking at her expectantly and she could tell that she had confided in no one. She had been dealing with this on her own and now was desperate for a solution, so desperate that she was asking Rachel Berry for advice. 

With a deep breath, she offered a smile, and nodded her head “You have to let her go, Santana. Whatever happened between you happened for a reason and if you want to ever feel alright about it and ever move on from it you have to allow her to do the same. You have to let her go, completely, and give her that chance to find the happiness that you couldn’t give her for whatever reason. Maybe she dates Dana, maybe she dates someone from another school, or maybe she doesn’t date at all, but that is not your business anymore. You have to allow her that freedom to do whatever she wants without guilt and you, Santana, you have to let yourself that freedom without guilt as well. If you can be happy and she can be happy, then isn’t that what really matters?”

“But with Dana?” Santana asked softly, her face still twisted in a knot of hurt at the thought.

“It sounds like you don’t care if she moves on, you just care that it’s Dana who she moves on with.” Rachel shrugged, holding it a moment, before letting out a sigh “I think you have to ask yourself why not Dana? She is your friend, after all, at least you know her. She isn’t a stranger trying to manipulate Brittany or steal her away and ruin any chance of you being friends again, right? Maybe she would be good to her.” Santana just shrugged. Rachel nodded slowly and took another breath before continuing “Maybe you should ask Charlie out. On a real date where you dress nice and act like a lady and don’t try to rape her.”

“Did she say she wanted to date me?” Santana asked quickly, her eyes wide with a bit of hope.

Rachel shook her head “No. I mean, not to me at least. She hates how you are all over her all the time. But if you put the effort in, who knows? Maybe she will fall for you and then you will be fully able to let Brittany go.”

Santana studied Rachel for a long time, her eyes narrowed, looking like she was deep in thought. She thought about what she had said, thought about it all, then after a moment shrugged her shoulders. “Look I’ll give it a try. I’ll try not to get mad when Dana is all over Brittany and I will ask Charlie out on a real date. But if she says no I’m not going to be happy.”

“Well don’t ask her tonight” Rachel said quickly, shaking her head. When Santana looked confused and was about to ask why not Rachel quickly spoke “It would be obvious I told you to, or mentioned it, besides you were putting your hands on her without permission at dinner. She is definitely not charmed by you right now. She’s a lady, Santana. She deserves romance.”

“That sounds lame” She said with a roll of her eyes “But I guess I will try it. If I get rejected, though, it’s your head Berry.”

Rachel took a deep breath at that but nodded quickly. She would just have to make sure she didn’t get rejected. “Just one date, alright? If she says no to one date you can slushy me every day from now until I graduate.” She offered her a little smile “But if she says yes you have to be nicer to me at school.” When Santana groaned Rachel shook her head and held up her hand “We don’t have to be friends, just no more slushies or fire hydrants or eggs or grass clippings or spit wads or-“

“I get it. I’ll stop tossing things at you for fun.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. 

Rachel smiled at the agreement then held out her hand to shake “Now shake on it so it’s a deal.”

“What?” Santana looked at her hand then let out a breath of a laugh “No way, Berry. I am not touching your hands. They look like midget hands and midgets give me the creeps. One touched me once when I was nine and I put it in the hospital with one swift knock to his oversized head.”

“Fine” Rachel shrugged and pulled her hand back “Then I’m telling Charlie you detailed to me everything you have ever thought about her sexually.”

“She wouldn’t believe you.” Santana rolled her eyes but her face showed she was slightly worried about that. 

“Fine” Rachel looked at her with a stubborn glare “I will tell Quinn, and Dana, you detailed to me everything you have ever thought about their sister sexually.”

Santana’s eyes widened a bit, then narrowed into a glare, then finally she rolled her eyes and shook her head “Fine” She pushed her hand out for Rachel to shake.

Rachel grinned happily and held out her hand but pulled it back at the last second “No groping her on the first date, unless for some reason she wants you to. Also, you have to promise to work on letting Brittany go.”

“What the Hell, Berry! What am I getting out of this deal?”

“Charlie” Rachel lifted her shoulders in a shrug “And potential happiness with the chance of your best friend and yourself reconciling your heartache and moving back into the blissful world of friendship you had with her before. Is it worth it?”

Santana thought about it for a moment, really thought about what that entailed. She thought about how she and Brittany had gone through school together, grown together, and had some pretty kick ass times together. She grinned a little bit at the memories and nodded, grabbing Rachel’s hand and shaking it “Deal but if this backfires I am kicking your ass.”

“Pleasure doing business with you” Rachel gave a firm shake of her hand then pulled it back. She held her head high, proud of herself and her negotiating skills, and turned back toward the building “Now, I insist you rejoin us for dinner. It would look good to Charlie if you were able to put aside your temper and continue a peaceful meal with the group.”

“Ugh, Berry” Santana rolled her eyes but stomped back toward the building behind Rachel. “I am regretting this already.”

The girls made their way back inside and back to the table. Rachel had a happy grin on her lips as she slipped into her seat between Quinn and Charlie and everyone actually looked surprised when Santana sat back down too.

“She didn’t murder you” Quinn said in an impressed tone. “I owe Charlie five bucks.”

“Pay up” Charlie said with a smile as she held out her hand for the money. She glanced at her friend’s horrified face and shrugged as Quinn slapped a five dollar bill into her hand “What? You’re my friend and all but have you seen Santana fight? It’s ugly.”

“We weren’t fighting we were having a conversation. Words work better than fists.” Rachel huffed and picked her fork back up to work on her meal again.

“No violence” Brittany said with a smile. She looked between Rachel and Santana and nodded “I am proud of you. I am proud of Rachel for going after Santana and I am glad Santana came back.”

“Sure” Santana offered a smile and picked up her fork too. She stabbed at the pasta then reached for a breadstick to dip in the sauce.

Rachel grinned happily as everyone settled back into their meals. They all finished up and as the plates cleared one by one, the conversations picked up again. Charlie and Rachel discussed their math homework, Santana and Quinn were talking about cheer, and Brittany and Dana were engaged in a conversation about dinosaurs and how Brittany was convinced they were still alive. The bill was presented and Rachel reached out and grabbed the book before anyone else. “It’s on me tonight, ladies.” The group looked at her in surprise but Charlie was the only one that tried to convince her she didn’t have to pay the entire thing alone. “No, it’s fine” She smiled and pulled out her father’s credit card and put it in, handing it to the server with a smile “I’ve had a nice night, I wanted to thank you all for attending and making it so wonderful.”

“You don’t get out much do you?” Dana mumbled, shifting her gaze to Santana quickly before shaking her head “But thanks, Berry, that was cool.”

“My pleasure” She said with a nod “Consider it a token of my friendship as well as a thank you for yours. Plus you have been giving me a ride to school and letting me stay over on weekends for nearly a year now so it’s about time I paid my gratitude.”

“Whatever” Dana shrugged and kicked back in her chair, reaching her arms out across the back of both Brittany and Santana’s chairs as she stretched out. She smiled at Brittany and gently placed her hand on her shoulder, a move that only Quinn could see with the angle at which they were all sitting. “So who needs a ride home?”

“Me” Rachel, Santana, and Brittany all said at once.  The triplets all looked at their friends and then burst out laughing for a moment. It wasn’t unusual for them all to need a ride, but the fact that they had all said it at once was funny.

“How did you all get here?” Quinn asked with a laugh on her lips.

“Bus” Santana said with a shrug.

“My parents” Brittany grinned.

“My dads” Rachel nodded and signed the receipt once the server brought it back then tucked her credit card away again. She looked up at the table and gave them a smile “Are we all ready?”

“Sure” The sisters all said together causing a soft giggle from everyone. That was a little more normal, especially when the three of them spent any significant time together.  The girls all stood from the table and headed out the doors in a group. Dana led the way, since she still had the keys, with Brittany by her side. Santana fell in step with Charlie and Rachel smiled at that. She really had high hopes their deal would pan out well.

“That was nice of you” Quinn, who had stayed back to walk near Rachel, whispered softly. “I mean going after Santana. It was pretty ballsy too considering you two aren’t really friends.”

Rachel shrugged and looked over at Quinn with a smile “She just needed someone to reach out and show they cared. She isn’t so bad.”

“I know” Quinn nodded “She hasn’t been the same since the summer but she definitely has her human moments.”

They walked out into the parking lot as a group, all heading for the Fabray suv to pile in and go home. Just as Quinn stepped off the curb of the sidewalk leading up to the door, a car came barreling around the corner toward them. Rachel screeched and reached out as a reflex, grabbing Quinn and quickly tugging her backwards and out of the way. The momentum of the pull and the fact that Rachel had had one foot off the curb and one on the sidewalk caused her to lose her balance and tumble backwards. She tried to catch herself but ended up tripping over her own feet and into the bushes near the windows, Quinn toppling right on top of her in the process. 

As the dust settled and the car was gone, a crowd had gathered around the girls in the bushes, but Quinn didn’t even notice. She was face to face, chest to chest, hip to hip with Rachel. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she was staring right into her eyes.

Rachel stared right back, her entire body frozen, not that she could move anyway with Quinn on top of her. She was still holding onto her tightly, half out of fear from having saved her from the car and the other half because, well, she was frozen. The feel of Quinn pressed against her did something, something she hadn’t noticed before, and now she couldn’t even move. She didn’t want to move. She liked the feeling going through her. It kind of tingled, in a scary way, but it felt good too. She tried to draw in a breath but couldn’t and instead she managed to smile as she whispered “Sorry” very softly.

Quinn nodded, then shook her head, then nodded again “No you…you saved me.” She licked her lips and her eyes flickered to Rachel’s mouth. They were so close, tempting her, maybe she could brush them accidentally. Maybe if she just shifted as if she were trying to get up and let them brush together.

“You guys alright?” Dana pulled at Quinn from behind and immediately Quinn hated the loss of contact. Once she was on her feet, Dana offered a hand to Rachel and helped her out of the bush and to her feet as well. “Shit that was close, that maniac came out of nowhere. Quick thinking, Berry. I don’t always like her but if I came home with a dead Quinn my parents would be pissed.”

“Such compassion” Charlie mumbled then looked at her sister with worry as she helped brush her off and pick sticks out of her clothes and hair “You alright, Quinn?”

“Y-yeah” She stuttered, shaking her head as she looked over her outfit and dusted herself off. It gave her a reason to look away from Rachel and collect herself.

“You okay, Rach?” Charlie asked, stepping up to her friend and pulling a twig out of her hair “That was really awesome, you were kind of like a ninja. It all happened so fast how did you see it coming?”

“I-I don’t know” Rachel shook her head, letting out a soft laugh, and shrugging her shoulders. “I saw a flash of headlight and heard wheels and, I don’t know, I just reacted.”

“Badass” Santana admitted with a shrug of her shoulders.

“You didn’t hurt yourself falling down, did you?” Brittany looked truly worried as she helped with the stick and brush removal of Rachel’s hair and clothes. “It looked painful.”

“No, I think I’m alright” Rachel looked up at Quinn and reached out to brush a leaf off her shoulder “Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I? We fell kind of hard.”

Quinn looked up at Rachel and when their eyes met her heart tightened. She stared at her for a long time, blinking quickly as she tried to catch her breath. She just managed to shake her head faintly as she stared at the girl.

“I think she broke her head” Dana said with a laugh, sliding her arm around her sister, and giving her a little shake “Earth to Q. You alright in there?”

“If she has a head trauma shaking her is a bad idea” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes. She stepped in front of her sister and looked right her eyes. “Her pupils are even and she is responding to light. She must just be in shock. She just needs to get home.”

“Yeah” Quinn blinked and nodded her head quickly “Can we go home?”

“Sure” Dana shrugged then turned around to look at the parking lot. She eyed it suspiciously as if another car was waiting to take a go at her sister. She didn’t show it a lot, but she was pretty protective of the other two. “You stay here” She nodded to the group “I will just bring the car up to the curb and you can get in.” She took off across the parking lot to fetch the suv.

“My butt hurts” Rachel said after a moment, laughing as she reached behind to rub it “I must have landed on it.”

“Yeah you did. All of your weight and Quinn’s did. If not for those bushes you might have broken something” Charlie smoothed out Rachel’s hair then gave her a smile “Make sure you ice it when you get home.”

“I will” Rachel said softly, her eyes drifting back to Quinn who was looking at her feet. She frowned and stepped closer to her, leaning in and looking down as well, whispering softly to her “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re being really quiet.”

“Fine” Quinn said quickly but did not look up “Just shaken up is all.”

Rachel just nodded and bit her lip. She took a deep breath and was thankful when Dana pulled up. Santana opened the door and let everyone crawl in. Rachel took a seat in the back next to Charlie while Quinn and Brittany sat in the row ahead and after shutting the door Santana took her place in the front seat. Once everyone was set Dana put the beast in drive and headed toward home.

Santana went first to go, and without a sexual comment toward Charlie, followed by Brittany. Dana hadn’t pulled away from her house until she knew she was safely inside. Actually she had watched her walk the entire way but claimed she was waiting until she was safe since it was dark and someone could jump her. That left Rachel alone with the Fabrays as they headed toward her house. Her back was starting to hurt now the more she sat and she knew she would be sore tomorrow. She kept having flashes of bright lights and Quinn’s face next to hers. She just wanted to get home, get some rest, and move on to tomorrow. So when Dana pulled up to her house she let out a relieved sigh and scooted toward the door. Quinn had to open the door for her and get out to lift the seat forward to let her out since she was sitting in the row ahead of her. 

When Rachel climbed out she landed face to face with Quinn who was holding the seat and the door for her. Their eyes met and for a brief moment they both paused. Rachel’s breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. The moment passed as quickly as it came and she blinked before offering a smile “I hope you’re not sore tomorrow.” With that she stepped away and out of her personal bubble before turning and giving a wave to the other two “Thanks for a lovely night.”

“Thanks for saving our sister” Dana called out with a laugh “Even if she’s a bitch.”

“Shut up” Quinn growled and pushed the seat back in place with more force than necessary. She turned and gave Rachel a wave “See you tomorrow. Thank you.”

Rachel gave a crooked smile and lifted her hand, using just a couple fingers to wave as the door closed. Even though Dana didn’t wait for Rachel to walk to her door safely, Quinn kept her eyes on her until Dana drove them around a corner and out of sight. She took a deep breath then closed her eyes as she finally came to rest against the seat behind her. Her body ached but she didn’t really notice. Her head, though, her head was pounding with confusion. She had no idea why Rachel Berry made her feel the way she did but after tonight it seemed even worse. Rachel had said it right, she had fallen hard that night.


	5. Two reach out in their own way

“How are you feeling?” Rachel asked Quinn when the two girls met up in the hallway between classes. Her history class and Quinn’s English class were down the same hallway and their lockers not too far apart so the two girls always saw each other between these two classes. Usually Quinn avoided Rachel because she didn’t dare let her social standings slide because of a simple sighting with a loser like Rachel, but today she didn’t mind at all.

“I’m alright” Quinn said with a genuine nod as she slowly strolled toward her locker now next to Rachel. “What about you? You took most of the weight when we fell.”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sore” Rachel admitted with a shrug “But it was worth it.” A smile slipped to her lips and she glanced at Quinn when she said it. Quinn bit her lip and looked at her feet, pulling in a deep breath to fight a blush, and shook her head a little.

“Why do you say that?” She asked it a bit of a whisper, almost hoping to hear Rachel say she was happy to have been that close to her.

“Because I saved you” Rachel said with a little laugh “I definitely can’t deal with a funeral right now, I am trying to prepare for Sectionals with the Glee club.”

“Oh” Quinn frowned, obviously disappointed at her answer. “Yeah, sure of course.” She shrugged as she stopped at her locker and quickly started to put in her combination. Rachel stopped next to her locker instead of continuing down to her own, her eyes on Quinn, studying her reaction to that. 

“Why else would it be worth it?” Rachel asked timidly, almost afraid to ask because she didn’t want to upset Quinn.

The blonde just shook her head and pulled open her locker “It wouldn’t be. You did a good deed and now I am indebted to you. You should be celebrating. There is like, I don’t know, a law that says if someone saves your life you are their bitch or something.”

“I would never hold that against you” Rachel shook her head, putting a hand gently against Quinn’s arm “I like to consider you some what of a friend. I would do that for any of my friends.”

“Great” Quinn pulled her arm away and looked up at Rachel with a plain, almost bored look “Good to know. I was afraid you would use that against me and try to make yourself popular or something pathetic like that.” She had nearly growled the words and after stuffing her book into her backpack, she slammed her locker and shoved Rachel on her way past her.

“Quinn wait” Rachel turned, hurt in her eyes and a frown on her lips. She was a little more than confused about the girl and how she had just treated her. It was cruel, even for her.  When Quinn stopped but didn’t turn to face her, she hurried over to her and put a hand on her shoulder “Why are you being so mean to me? I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“I am fine” Quinn growled, pulling her shoulder out of her touch then taking a few steps forward. She paused and looked over her shoulder, catching the hurt look on Rachel’s face and for a moment she felt like she might puke. That last thing she wanted to do was hurt Rachel’s feelings. But the feeling faded when Brittany approached and looped her arm through hers with a little smile.

“Ready for math?” She asked with a chipper tone, giving Quinn a tug to get her feet moving down the hall. She noticed Quinn’s gaze lingering behind them for a moment and when she turned to see what she was looking at she saw a very upset Rachel Berry throwing her arms up in defeat and turning to head the other way down the hall. Brittany frowned and pointed over her shoulder with her other thumb “What is Rachel so upset about?”

Quinn just shrugged and Brittany knew immediately that meant Quinn knew and didn’t want to talk about it. So she just nodded and let them continue their journey to math in silence. Once they were in their seats and their books were pulled out of their bags, Brittany wrote something on a piece of paper, and then slid it toward Quinn.

_ Did something happen with Rachel in the hallway? _

Quinn glanced at the note and read it just as the teacher started in on her lecture. She rolled her eyes and quickly scribbled something back then pushed it back to Brittany.

_ Pay attention, your grade is horrible in this class. _

Brittany read the response and frowned. She would just copy off Quinn’s test like she always did. She picked up her pencil and wrote something more before looking at the teacher. She waited until her back was turned then pushed the note back to her again.

_ What happened? You are my bff I know when something is wrong. _

Quinn rolled her eyes and looked at Brittany with a scowl. She leaned across the table they shared and whispered to her sharply “Stop asking me what happened. Nothing happened. She asked me if I was alright and I said yes. Now pay attention.”

“Then why do you look like you got kicked like a puppy?” Brittany replied in a whisper of her own. When Quinn opened her mouth to answer the teacher interrupted and asked them to be quiet. She glared at the both of them then turned around to finish her lecture. Brittany frowned then took the note back and wrote on the paper again.

_ Talk to me Quinn you are being cranky for no reason. _

Quinn let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. She crumbled the note then tossed it toward the garbage near the wall. She looked at Brittany and gave her friend a warning look before turning her attention back to the teacher.

The girls spent the rest of the class period in silence and for once Brittany had actually taken notes. Since Quinn was mad at her she had nothing else to do so she had paid attention and actually kind of understood. Maybe she would do it more often. That thought dissipated though when the bell rang and lunch was upon them. Brittany quickly got up from her chair, grabbed Quinn’s arm again, and lead her into the hallway and toward the cafeteria.

Brittany didn’t really understand why Quinn was being so mean but as they stood in line for the spaghetti that day and she caught Quinn staring at Rachel across the room she started to think there was something more going on in her friend’s mind. She didn’t say anything, though, and instead opted to stay quiet as they got their food and headed to the table, joining the other cheerios who had already sat down.

“Is it true?” One of the girls asked as soon as Quinn sat down. When Quinn looked at her in surprise and confusion, the girl bit her lip then shrugged “I heard Rachel Berry saved your life last night.”

“Oh my god, she did not save my life” Quinn rolled her eyes and shook her head “She just pulled me out of the way of a car. I am sure I wouldn’t have died. Don’t listen to rumors they aren’t true.”

“But she did save you?” The girl asked with a smile. She turned to some of the other girls at the table and they all smiled. It was definitely an amazing story, at least to the freshman girls on the squad.

“It was actually really scary” Brittany said with a nod as she settled in and started to eat “We were all just walking to the car and then all of the sudden here came this speeding car out of nowhere. I don’t know how Rachel saw it but she did and yanked her out of the way. It was like a ninja.”

“Wow” The girls all said, hanging on Brittany’s every word as she recounted the story. Quinn rolled her eyes at that. She was trying to forget that night. Every time she had a flash of being on top of Rachel she got goosebumps and she did not want them. She wanted them to go as far away as possible.

“Did you, like, buy her a cookie or like a flower or something to say thank you?” The youngest of the girls asked, breaking Quinn’s train of thought.

“Wh-what?” Quinn blinked and shook her head, looking completely shocked at that. “Why would I do that?”

“She saved your life. Did you even say thank you?” The girl sounded a little less enthusiastic this time around.

“Of course I said thank you but I’m not going to buy her gifts. That is ridiculous. You guys are making a huge deal out of nothing.” She pushed her plate away, suddenly not hungry, and shook her head. “Stop talking about this.” The girls all frowned and looked down at their plates. Silence fell over the table and for the first time since lunch started Quinn smiled. Being captain was good. She loved the power she had over her squad.

“Hi Rachel” Brittany spoke after a minute, breaking the silence and tension that had come to the group. The girls all looked up and grinned widely at the girl, offering a few friendly waves at the girl who had approached the table.

Quinn turned quickly and sure enough there was Rachel, standing behind her. What the Hell did she want?

“Hi girls” Rachel said cheerfully, offering a wave to the cheerleaders who had waved to her. Well that was new! Usually they all snickered and made fun of her. She turned and looked back to Brittany and bit at her lip “Brittany, I had a question about, um, English.” She nodded her head at her lie and grinned. She was a horrible liar and there was no one at the table who bought it, except for Brittany.

The girl brightened up and nodded “What can I help you with? Did you forget your homework for next period? Because I did too.” She frowned at the realization and shrugged “I’m sorry I don’t think I can help you.”

“No, no, it’s not about that. Can I…” She glanced at Quinn and their eyes met. Her heart jumped in a way it never had before and she was forced to shake her head and break eye contact to look back at Brittany “Um, can I speak to you over there?” She pointed to the wall near a trash can and nodded “Please?” 

The urgency in her voice wasn’t subtle and even Brittany picked up on it. She quickly nodded and stood up, giving Quinn a quick glance that said she would tell her what was said, before she hurried away from the table and followed Rachel until they were out of ear shot of the Cheerios who were all staring at the girls. “What’s up?” Brittany asked softly.

“I think I upset Quinn” She said quickly, not about beating around the bush “But I don’t know how. I asked her if she was alright from the fall last night, you know? Then she asked me if I was okay since I took most of the weight and I said I was sore but it was worth it. Then she got all cold and cruel to me.”

Brittany nodded slowly and glanced over her shoulder. She saw Quinn staring, watching them, almost trying to read what they were saying. She shrugged when she faced Rachel again, a sad look on her face “She was weird in math, too. I don’t know what happened. It sounds to me like you were just trying to be nice and check on her. Did you say anything else?”

Rachel thought about it for a moment, replaying the conversation in her head, and then shook her head after a moment. “No. We just talked about last night and I made sure she was feeling alright.” As she recounted the story to Brittany, almost word for word, Brittany listened intently. One thing stuck out to her and as Rachel finished the blonde was quiet as she milled it over.

“When you guys fell” She whispered after a moment of silence, lowering her voice just in case Quinn somehow had super hero hearing “Did something weird happen?”

“No” Rachel said with a quick shake of her head. She opened her mouth to elaborate then stopped and thought about it. She replayed the moment in her mind and although it seemed to have been in slow motion, she couldn’t pinpoint a moment where they were tangled together in the bushes that seemed weird. Except for the actual fact that they were pressed together. “Other than the fact that we were pressed together, thus making that the closest we have ever been, there was nothing weird about it at all.”

Brittany nodded her head a bit and looked back to Quinn. She eyed her friend for a moment then slowly looked back to Rachel with a smile “Let me talk to her and see if I can figure out why she is being so cold to you. I mean, you saved her, she should at least be nice to you.”

“Thanks” Rachel said with a soft smile “I really appreciate it. I know she doesn’t really like me but I do kind of consider her a friend and I don’t want to upset her for no reason.”

“Oh trust me” Brittany said with a smile “She doesn’t hate you like you think.” She offered Rachel a little nudge then nodded a bit “Just give me some time to figure it out.”

Rachel’s face lit up with a bit of hope and nodded quickly “Thank you” She repeated before glancing back to Quinn. When their eyes met, Quinn went wide eyed then quickly turned away from her. Rachel bit her lip and let out a sigh. What did she do to offend her? She gave Brittany a little wave as the girl went back to her table and Rachel turned to go find Charlie. There wasn’t much left of lunch and her stomach was growling with hunger. Hopefully Brittany would have something to tell her pretty soon.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“I just don’t see why you are hanging out with Brittany so much” Charlie mumbled as she put in her locker combination. School was finally over and Charlie was in a bad mood, more than ready to go home.

“I don’t see why you care” Rachel said with a shrug, opening her own locker which was right next to Charlie’s “She is your sister’s best friend, it’s not like she is some stranger trying to steal my attention.” She rolled eyes at the idea and looked at Charlie “Is that what you are afraid of? You think I am going to stop hanging out with you or something?”

“Don’t be an idiot” Charlie mumbled but didn’t look at Rachel when she spoke. She didn’t want to admit that she was insecure about being left behind. It had happened when Quinn made Cheerios and when Dana decided she stopped caring. They were popular and Charlie was a nobody. She didn’t want to lose Rachel, too.

“You’re my friend” Rachel said with a smile, pulling open her locker to put some books away “That will never change. I just thought getting along with Brittany would make it more enjoyable when all of us are hanging out in the same place.”

Charlie nodded and pulled open her locker. She knew Rachel was right. If there was anyone in the world who was loyal to a fault it was Rachel Berry. But her own sisters had abandoned her so she couldn’t help but have that underlying fear. If her own family did it, why would Rachel stick around if a chance to hang with the popular girls came around?

“What’s that?” Rachel pointed to Charlie’s locker. Taped inside the door was a single red rose. “Where did you get that?”

“This wasn’t here before” Charlie said with a shake of her head, pulling the flower off the door and looking at it. She eyed it for a moment then looked at Rachel suspiciously. “Did you do this? Are you pulling a prank on me because I have to tell you it’s not a very good one.”

Rachel gasped at the accusation, her brow creasing into a frown “No! I’m not a prankster, you know this. And why would I prank you? If I was going to, I would do something a lot more elaborate than a rose.” She huffed and put a book away then shut her locker “Maybe you have a secret admirer?”

“Yeah right” Charlie laughed out, tossing the flower into her bag and zipping it up before shutting her locker and tossing her bag over her shoulder “You pulling a prank is more likely. Besides, it wasn’t stuffed in there, it was taped. You are the only one who knows my combination.”

“I didn’t do it. I swear on Barbra Streisand that it wasn’t me.” Rachel folded her arms across her chest and eyed her friend with a serious glare. The two of them stared each other down before Charlie rolled her eyes and sighed.

“If it wasn’t you then who? And how did they get into my locker?”

Rachel just shrugged. Although she didn’t know for sure, she had an idea. But she wasn’t for sure so saying she didn’t know was not a lie, which was good since she was a horrible liar “I don’t know, Charlie. Maybe they picked the lock?”

Charlie gave a nod then shrugged her shoulders “Well whatever. Let’s just go home.” The girls turned and headed down the hall, glad to see the other four had already gathered. Charlie was not in the mood to be waiting for them. She was the one who had driven and she was ready to get back on the road.

Brittany was laughing at something Dana had said as the girls approached the group. Dana had a huge smile on her lips and when Brittany put her hand on her shoulder and leaned over to clutch her stomach as she laughed that only seemed to make Dana smile wider. It was one of the first genuine smiles anyone had seen her give in a long time.

“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked with a smile as she stopped next to the girls, looking between them all and shrugging.

“Dana just told me a joke” Brittany said with a wide smile “It was really funny!”

Rachel nodded slowly, still smiling, the girl’s smile contagious and Rachel couldn’t help but to smile too. “Well I can’t wait to hear it.”

“Later” Charlie said softly, looking at the group then motioning toward the parking lot “I have a lot of homework so I would really like to get home.”

“Kill joy” Dana mumbled, rolling her eyes but starting toward the door when Charlie turned to lead the way. Dana and Brittany walked side by side still giggling over the joke, Quinn followed closely behind them, and Santana lingered back until Rachel caught up and they moved down the hall together.

She waited until she was sure she wouldn’t be heard then whispered to Rachel without looking at her “Did she find her flower?”

Rachel grinned widely at that. She had thought it might have been Santana but she hadn’t been sure. To hear she had been right made her heart soar. She slowly nodded her head and looked at Santana with her smile in place “She thought I was playing a prank on her. You didn’t leave a note.”

“I’m not ready for a note yet” She said with a shrug before finally glancing at Rachel. “Don’t say anything to her. I’m trying that whole romance thing you mentioned but let me do it on my own terms alright?”

Rachel nodded quickly, still smiling, having to bite her bottom lip to stop it from spreading wider. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Good” Santana said with a nod then sped up before anyone looked behind them and saw they were talking. She couldn’t risk Charlie suspecting anything. Rachel didn’t mind. She was absolutely glowing right now. Aside from Quinn being completely cold to her earlier, the day had been pretty wonderful.

The group all loaded into the suv, Rachel taking her spot in the front seat since Charlie was driving, and the other girls spread out in the back two rows of seats. Once everyone was in place, Charlie was off and out of the parking lot in record time. Brittany was going home with Quinn to do homework but Santana and Rachel were both being dropped off. Charlie made sure to not waste any time getting them home. When she finally pulled into the Fabray garage, she was out of the vehicle almost before she had even turned off the engine. No one dared asked her what was up so instead they left her alone and all went their separate ways once they were inside.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Quinn” Brittany said softly, setting down her pencil and looking at her friend. They had settled in and started their homework but it was an hour later and Brittany was dying to know what was up with her best friend.

“Hmm?” Quinn hummed but didn’t look up. She was concentrating on her current problem, trying to find the solution and not quite getting it.

Brittany took a deep breath, afraid to ask what she wanted to know, but also knowing Quinn wouldn’t just come out with it. So she braced herself then spoke softly “Are you mad at Rachel for some reason?”

Quinn’s pencil stopped writing and slowly she lifted her head to look at her friend. Her heart had leaped at the mention of Rachel but she was able to fight any emotion showing on her face. “Did she ask you to ask me that?”

“No” Brittany said quickly, her head shaking back and forth like a bobble head “No. I just noticed how cranky you got when the girls were asking about it at lunch. You seemed irritated.”

“I’m fine” Quinn rolled her eyes, again able to remain pretty much emotionless, giving her head a shake “I just don’t want them to make a huge deal out of it.”

“Why?” Brittany asked with a shrug “Is it because it brings back bad memories? It’s okay to admit you were scared.”

“I wasn’t scared” Quinn huffed “I didn’t even get a chance to be scared before Rachel pulled me out of the way. It was just a freak thing, no big deal.”

Brittany nodded slowly and eyed her friend who was now looking at her paper again. She studied her a moment then cleared her throat and asked “Did something happen in the bush?”

This time Quinn’s pencil broke. Her hand gave a tremble before she dropped the pencil and shook her head. She looked up at her friend, anger rising in her tone now as she spoke “You were there, did you see anything happen in the bush?”

Brittany shook her head a little bit, frowning slightly. She looked back down at her hands and took a deep breath. “You don’t have to get defensive.”

“I’m not!” Quinn rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh “You just asked a really stupid question. We were in that bush for like a second, what could happen? Besides what would happen?”

Brittany shrugged and looked back to her friend with a shake of her head “Maybe you bumped heads or hands landed in awkward places or something? You just seem really offended by any mention of it.”

“That’s because I am annoyed that we are still talking about it. Rachel pulled me out of the way of a car and then we fell over into a bush because she tripped over her own two feet. There is nothing more to the story!”

“Okay” Brittany whispered, sounding almost like a scolded child when Quinn nearly yelled at her. She frowned and looked back to her paper.  She picked up her pencil and started to tap it against the table. She didn’t want to look up because she didn’t want Quinn to see she had just hurt her feelings.

Quinn knew her all too well, though, and knew her reaction had been a little harsh. She rolled her eyes and sighed, shaking her head as she reached out and put a hand on Brittany’s “I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep very well last night because I was sore and I kept having flashes of the car and Rach-“ She stopped and Brittany looked up quickly.

“Rachel?” She said softly, a smile creeping over her features slowly “You kept thinking about Rachel, didn’t you? I knew it.”

“That’s not what I meant” Quinn said with a quick shake of her head “I meant her pulling me out of the way.”

“Quinn” Brittany said with a sigh, shaking her head a bit “You were thinking about Rachel, you can admit it. I see the way you look at her. You are always staring in her direction. I’ve seen how you smile when she says something you think is dorky. You’ve stopped insulting her when we hang out.”

Quinn shook her head quickly and looked back to her paper. She picked up her pencil to write again only to growl when she realized the tip was broken. She rolled her eyes and looked at Brittany, holding out her hand “Can I borrow your pencil?”

“No” Brittany grabbed it and folded her arms across her chest, hiding the pencil against herself “Not until you talk to me about this.”

“There is nothing to talk about” Quinn nearly yelled again, this time there was more panic and less anger in her tone though. When her eyes met Brittany’s they betrayed her and showed her best friend that there was something to talk about. There was more than she knew how to say and she was terrified.

Seeing this, Brittany unfolded her arms slowly. Her heart melted in that moment and she slowly held out her hand to give Quinn her pencil. She could see it all written on her friend’s face. It was the most honest moment she had seen from her in a long time. She wouldn’t push it anymore. “Here” She said with an apologetic smile “here’s my pencil.”

“Thank you” Quinn whispered as she took the pencil. The look in her eyes and the tone of her voice showed she was thanking her friend for dropping the subject and not for the pencil. She could care less about that. Brittany wasn’t always bright, but she was smart when it came to people. She knew when to drop something with Quinn and now was that time. So when the friends shared a look and a smile, they both let the subject go, knowing that when the time was right it would be discussed.

The rest of the evening passed without event. They finished the homework, had dinner, and then settled in for a movie before Quinn took her home. After grabbing her back pack she slid out of the passenger side door, sticking her head back in and giving her friend a smile “Hey Quinn?”

“Yeah?” Quinn asked from behind the wheel, giving her friend a smile.

“You should let her know you’re not mad. She is really worried that you hate her.” Brittany bit her lip, afraid Quinn might be mad that she brought it up, but she really felt she owed it to Rachel to give it a shot.

Quinn nodded slowly and her eyelids fluttered a little bit as she drew in a deep breath and gave Brittany a smile “I think I can do that.”

Brittany smiled brightly at that and gave a little wave “Night, Q.”

“Night, B” she whispered softly, giving a little wave as her friend shut the door and skipped off to her front door. Quinn took a deep breath then headed home, already preparing for another restless night filled with flashes of Rachel Berry and the conversation they would have the next day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The last bell had rang and after a stop at her locker, Rachel was heading for the choir room. She had avoided Quinn all day because, well, Brittany hadn’t gotten back to her and she didn’t want to make her even more upset than she already was.  That was the last thing she wanted to do. She figured it was better to just give the girl some space to work it out.

Suddenly two hands were tugging on her arm and Rachel squeaked as she was pulled out of the hallway and into an empty room. The door was closed quickly and Rachel prepared for contact. It had been a while since someone had thrown something at her or poured white out on her clothes or glued all her books together so she figured her luck had worn out. She drew in a deep breath and braced herself for whatever was about to happen.

“Relax” came a soft voice. Rachel recognized the voice and slowly her eyes fluttered open. When they focused on Quinn in front of her, she let out the breath she had been holding and shook her head in confusion.

“Quinn?” She said softly. She glanced around and realized they were in the biology room. The school was growing quiet as most students hurried home out in the hallways. She slowly looked back at the girl and arched an eyebrow curiously “Wh-what are you doing? Though I do appreciate the dramatics and mystery of it, I do have to ask why you felt the need to so suddenly pull me into an empty classroom. Especially since you haven’t said a word to me all day, in fact, you haven’t spoken to me since you so suddenly blew up at me yesterday.”

“I know and I am sorry about that” Quinn shrugged, letting out a sigh, and folding an arm across her chest. She licked her lips and took a step backwards to lean back against one of the empty desks. “But I wanted to talk to you now.”

“In a classroom?” Rachel asked with a soft laugh, pulling the backpack she wore onto her shoulder a bit more. “Couldn’t you just have, I don’t know, met me at my locker? It’s only a few down from your own.”

“I know that but no.” She shook her head and held up her hand to stop Rachel from speaking anymore. “Look I didn’t want to be interrupted and I didn’t want-“

“To be seen talking to me, I get it” Rachel nodded, frowned, and looked at her feet now. Her foot turned to the side and she rocked slightly on the sides of her feet. “So what is it? Do you need help with homework or something?”

“No” Quinn frowned as she watched the girl look down on herself. It nearly broke her heart to see her this way. To know that she was the reason Rachel was now feeling worthless. “I didn’t mean that. I just” She sighed a little, she couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t going to say she didn’t want people to see them talking.

“It’s okay” Rachel said as she looked up from her feet and put on a forced brave smile “I get it. So what is it you wanted to talk about?”

Quinn took a big breath and shook her head. It felt like she had just been kicked in the stomach. Why couldn’t she have just talked to her in public? Stupid, stupid Quinn.  You are head cheerio and your squad seemed to like Rachel now that she had saved you. Would people really care if they saw you talking to her? Ugh, of course they would! By why would you care? Why should you care?

“Quinn?” Rachel arched an eyebrow slightly and took a step closer to her now. “Are you alright? Did you forget what you wanted to talk about? Because you’ve been standing there in silence for about a minute and that is usually a sign that you have brain trauma or you’ve forgotten what you wanted to say.”

“Oh. No, sorry, I’m alright. I was just thinking.” She cleared her throat and put on a half smile.

“About what?” Rachel asked a little more softly this time, taking another step forward and eventually bringing herself so she could lean on a desk right across from her. “You must have been thinking about something important with how long you were standing in silence.”

“It was important” Quinn glanced at the girl and a real smile came to her lips. She noticed how close Rachel had gotten, how close their feet were now, both stretched out in front to keep their balance as they leaned into the desks. She could just slide her foot an inch to the left and tap it against Rachel’s.

“Then what is it?” Rachel asked again “Because I have my glee club rehearsal to get to. I’m the captain, I can’t be late. I am sure you feel the same about your cheerios.”

“Right, of course” Quinn shook her head, bringing herself out of thoughts of touching her foot to Rachel’s. She looked up at the girl now and caught her brown eyes. In that brief moment she felt her heart skip a beat and had a flash of them in the bushes. The two of them so close together, bodies tangled, lips dangerously close. She shivered and cleared her throat, blinking her eyes closed for a moment as she regained her strength. “Um I just wanted to say thank you and I am not mad at you.”

Rachel blinked once and cocked her head to the side. That was the last thing she had expected. “Th-thank me? For what?”

Quinn rolled her eyes then took a deep breath. Sometimes she was a little too clueless for her own good. It was kind of adorable though. She smiled softly and let out a little laugh “For the other night, for saving me. It was pretty brave, Rachel. I realize I never really said thank you, you know, to your face and I wanted to make sure to do that so, thank you.”

Rachel smiled slowly at the words. Her eyes took a moment to study the girl in front of her. Her smile seemed genuine, her tone had been soft, and her eyes were sincere. Her eyes were beautiful. Her eyes were staring right into hers and now she had forgotten where she was. Those eyes. Rachel blinked and shook her head, bringing herself out of the trance of those eyes. She put on a smile and nodded quickly “Sure, of course. You don’t have to thank me, Quinn. I would do it for anyone and, trust me, I don’t want to use this against you and make you my, um, bitch.”

“What?” Quinn perked an eyebrow, biting her lower lip to fight off a laugh.

“Yesterday you told me you were afraid I would use me saving your life as some sort of way to use you to get what I wanted? You said there was a law or something and if you saved someone life they owed you. They became your bitch.”

“Oh” Quinn thought back then let out a laugh “Oh! I’m sorry, I know you wouldn’t do that. I don’t know what I was thinking. I have a lot on my mind. I apologize.”

“It’s alright” Rachel nodded, pushing off the desk now, bringing herself to her feet completely. “I’m glad you didn’t mean that. And even if it was a law I would break it for you, Quinn.” She reached out now, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, and gave it a soft squeeze. Their eyes met and Rachel offered a soft smile as she whispered to her gently “All I want from you is friendship.” Her hand dropped away and she took a step backwards. “Now if that was all, Quinn, I need to excuse myself to get to rehearsal. But you’re welcome and I will see you afterwards for a ride home?”

“Sure” Quinn whispered, giving the girl a slight nod of her head. She drew in a shaky breath but managed a smile as she watched the girl give her a wave goodbye then slowly leave the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could feel shockwaves still radiating from where Rachel had touched her shoulder. She lifted her hand and ran it over the spot, still able to feel each fingerprint. Her hand trembled as her fingers dusted over the spots and a slow smile spread over her lips.

“Quinn! There you are!” Brittany poked her head into the room and grinned brightly “What are you doing in here? I have been looking all over for you. You are late for practice and Sue is furious.”

Quinn opened her eyes and focused on her friend. She shook her head and cleared her throat, pushing herself off the desk and heading for the door “I’m sorry, I forgot my book in here and was looking for it. I must have lost track of time.”

“Well hurry. She is making us run a mile for every minute you’re late today.” Brittany tugged on her friend’s arm as soon as she was within reach. “Did you find your book?”

Quinn nodded despite the fact she had nothing in her hands. She let Brittany drag her to the cheerios locker room as her mind drifted back to the classroom, back to the touch, back to the words. Wait, friendship is all she wanted? Quinn’s heart twisted and suddenly she felt like she had a hole in her gut. Friendship? That’s it? Well of course, she couldn’t even talk to the girl in public what made her think she could get anything more than friendship out of her? Suddenly the warmth from the touch faded and her body went cold. Cold was the only consistent thing Quinn knew. She was good at cold. Maybe cold was for the best. Warmth only lead to disappointment.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	6. 3,2,1 what have I done?

The next week had gone back to normal, at least as far as Rachel was concerned. Quinn had gone back to minimal interaction with her, only talking to her when necessary which usually included asking if she wanted to go home or to the Fabray’s house.  Rachel was fine with that. It was a lot better than people talking about what had happened at Breadstix and risking Quinn being upset at her again. Besides, she had gone through the entire school week without being shoved around or having anything tossed at her. In fact, a few cheerleaders had even waved at her. Perhaps saving their captain had done her more good than she had known. So if you asked Rachel, things were dandy. Besides, she had other things to focus on, like giving Santana a nudge toward romancing Charlie without Santana knowing she was getting nudged.

On her way out of the library after making copies for her teacher, Rachel paused when she noticed Santana sitting at one of the tables behind a few book shelves. She looked around to make sure no one important saw her before she moved across the library to where Santana was sitting.

“Hi” Rachel whispered, giving the girl a little smile “Mind if I sit down?” Before Santana could say she minded greatly, Rachel slid into the chair next to Santana and set down the papers she had been carrying against her chest. She took a deep breath and smiled at the girl, watching her for a moment and when she didn’t look up from what she was reading Rachel tapped her fingers against the papers “So what are you reading?”

“What do you want Berry?” Santana mumbled, now slowly looking up the book she had been reading. She eyed the girl in front of her and rolled her eyes. 

“Nothing” Rachel shrugged, her eyes shifting a little before giving her a smile. “I just saw you in here and thought I would say hello. What are you doing in here?”

“I have study hall” Santana mumbled and set down the book before closing her eyes “So you said hello. You can go now.”

Rachel nodded at that and gave her a smile but didn’t move. The two girls stared at each other for a moment, Santana arching an eyebrow when the girl didn’t move, and finally she let out a frustrated sigh. Before she could say anything mean, Rachel interrupted and gave a cute little smile as she leaned in and whispered “It’s been a week since the rose, Santana. I was simply wondering what your next plan of action was?”

“I knew it” Santana rolled her eyes and shook her head a little “Maybe I don’t have a next plan.”

Rachel’s smile fell and her brow creased in concern. She gave a slight shake of her head “I don’t understand. I thought you were going to try the whole romance thing?”

Santana rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders “Maybe I’m not very good at it.”

Rachel’s face softened and her smile returned. She reached out and put a hand on Santana’s hand across the table “Do you need help with ideas?”

“No” Santana huffed and pulled her hand away. Her eyes shifted and she looked away from her “Maybe I just don’t care anymore.”

“Santana” Rachel said softly, not buying it at all. “Look, if you are stuck maybe you should take the next step?”

“Ask her out?” Santana looked back up, arching an eyebrow slowly.

“No” Rachel shook her head a little “She is definitely not to that point yet. Although she won’t admit it, she had been endlessly trying to decide who it was who left her the rose. Since it has been a week, though, I think she has decided it was a mistake. I think you need to do something to get yourself back in the picture.”

“Like what?” Santana asked in a whisper “I don’t want to be cheesy about it and I’m pretty sure she hates me so if she knew it was me she would reject whatever else I try.”

“That’s why you do it without her realizing your romantic intentions.” Rachel shrugged, lifting her hand to her chin and leaning into it with a smile.

“You lost me” Santana mumbled “How am I supposed to do something to get back in the picture but not have her know?”

“Ask her to hang out in a very casual way. Something you both need to do anyway, just do it together, and do it in a place that is comfortable for her so it doesn’t seem like a date. Like, you know, if you both have to get new shoes ask her to go with you since you are going anyway. Something like that. That way you can spend time with her, alone, without the pressure of a date.”

Santana stared at Rachel for a long time once she finished. Her eyes were narrowed and the wheels in her mind were obviously turning. She stared so long Rachel began to grow uncomfortable thinking she had made her mad. Just as she was about to open her mouth to apologize, Santana nodded “I think I get it.” She picked up her book and lifted her hand and made a shooing motion “Now go away.”

That was good enough for Rachel. She nodded and slid out of the chair, grabbing the papers, and gave her a smile “I’ll see you later, Santana.” Before Santana could make a nasty remark toward her, she turned on her heels and left the library. She felt pretty good about the conversation and was glad Santana hadn’t rejected her attempts to nudge her in the right direction.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Hey Charlie” Santana said softly as she slid out of her desk and moved over to the girl who was gathering her things. The bell had just gone off signaling the end of their chemistry class and the beginning of lunch. 

Charlie didn’t look up. She put the book in her backpack then packed away her pens “What do you want, Santana? No, I don’t know if Dana has any cigarettes.”

“No” Santana shook her head a little bit “I actually quit smoking. Sue found out and threatened to make me the bottom of the pyramid.”

“Oh” Charlie looked up now and shrugged her shoulders “Good, it’s a disgusting habit anyway. So what do you want?”

Santana bit her lip, suddenly feeling really nervous about this. She reached out and picked up one of Charlie’s pens and gave her a smile “Look, I’m just not getting it. I mean this stuff we are talking about in this class. My grades have kind of been slipping and if I don’t pick them up I am going to have to sit out our next cheer competition. So I was wondering if maybe you could sit down with me and go over it.”

Charlie arched an eyebrow and studied the girl. She couldn’t tell if she was serious or trying to set her up for something. But then Santana lifted her eyes from where she had been staring at her own hands and as their eyes met Charlie knew she was serious. It was the most vulnerable she had ever seen Santana Lopez. She felt her heart clench a little and the part of her that wanted to help everyone and be a good person nodded without thinking “Sure. I mean we can go over my notes and stuff and see if maybe that helps.”

“Sure” Santana’s lips spread into a smile “Whatever you think will help. You get pretty good grades so I figured you were the best person to ask.”

Charlie nodded slowly then lifted her backpack up over her shoulder before offering a smile “Yeah I guess. So tonight after dinner, I guess?”

“Sounds good” Santana gave her another sincere smile “I’ll see you after school.” She quickly turned and went back to her desk, gathering her things so she could go meet Dana for lunch. When she turned to thank Charlie, she was gone. Santana grinned slowly, shaking her head, and biting her lower lip. That had been pretty easy and now, for the first time in her life, she was excited to study.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“You won’t believe what Santana Lopez just asked me” Charlie said as she slipped onto the bench next to Rachel who already had her food. 

“What color underwear are you wearing?” Rachel guessed with a smirk before taking a bite.

“Funny” Charlie mumbled with a roll of her eyes “But surprisingly no. Actually, now that I think about it, the entire conversation contained zero sexual offers.”

“You had an entire conversation?” Rachel perked an eyebrow and tried to act surprised at that. Truthfully, though, as soon as Santana was mentioned she had hoped there was good news on the way.

“Yeah” Charlie shrugged and started to unwrap her cheeseburger “She asked me to help her with chemistry. Like, really study and nothing underlying like study is code for try to get in my pants.”

“Wow” Rachel said with a slow nod before looking back at her salad, fighting a smile. “I thought she had good grades, though?”

Charlie shrugged a bit and put ketchup on her bun “Apparently she isn’t getting the chemistry lesson lately. She said if she doesn’t pick up her grade she has to sit out in cheer.”

“Heaven forbid” Rachel said with a smirk and the two friends shared a smile. They often mocked the cheerleaders and how important they thought being popular cheerleaders was.

“So I figured, sure why not? I mean, she is my sister’s friend and teammate and if she got kicked off the squad I would probably have to hear them complaining all the time. Plus, imagine the trouble she and Dana would get in if she didn’t have to keep her nose clean for cheer.”

“Good thinking” Rachel said with a nod before offering her friend a smile. “So does that mean you and I aren’t going to finish our book for book club together tonight?”

Charlie frowned at that and shrugged her shoulders “I totally forgot about that. I told her we could do it after dinner tonight. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay” Rachel said quickly, shaking her head with an eager smile. “I actually finished it last period and was just going to do my math while you finished tonight.”

“Oh” Charlie let out a little laugh, rolling her eyes a bit “Well since you are an over achiever I guess I might as well help an under achiever tonight.” They both let out a soft laugh before they turned to their lunch. Charlie was glad that Rachel had finished early. She wasn’t sure why but she was kind of looking forward to helping Santana. Maybe it was because Santana showed cracks in her perfect armor. Maybe it was because she could blackmail the girl for having to tutor her later if she ever gave her crap. Or maybe it was something she saw in Santana’s eyes. She wasn’t sure why but she was definitely looking forward to it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Once a month the Fabray’s had a family dinner at their house. It had begun as a way to catch up with the three girls and the many directions they were going but had been transformed into an all out feast because each girl had started inviting their friend. It was the only way to be sure the girls would actually attend. Russell actually came home from the office and Judy would cook the meal all day for their daughter’s and their friends. It was usually chaotic but on the chance that no one got in a fight it was a nice night.

Russell was refreshing his drink and Judy was cleaning up the leftovers as the girls lingered around the table. Rachel and Charlie were discussing the book, Charlie having finished in her last class of the day. Quinn, Brittany, and Santana were talking about the cheer competition coming up and Dana was trying to sneak some booze from the cabinet because she noticed her father had left it unlocked. She was soon chased out of the kitchen, having been caught by her father, and told to go to her room. 

Dana just rolled her eyes and laughed as she came back into the dining room and glanced at the girls around the table. “Whatever. San, you wanna ditch these losers and go to my room?”

“Actually” Santana looked at her friend, then to her other cheerleading friends, and shook her head “I have homework to do. Charlie is helping me with my chemistry.”

Dana started laughing hysterically at that. She shook her head and patted her friend on the back “Yeah right, you’re hilarious. Come on, let’s go.”

Charlie stood up and gave Rachel a little shake of her head before she turned and walked up to her sister “Actually, she wasn’t lying.” She glanced at Santana and gave her a nod “Are you ready?”

“Yeah” Santana slid out of her seat and glanced back at Quinn and Brittany. Brittany was smiling, silently proud that Santana was taking her studies seriously again. Quinn just shrugged. Nothing her friend did surprised her so why should this be any different. Santana gave a nod then chanced a glance at Rachel who was just grinning like an idiot. Seeing that she rolled her eyes and looked back to Dana “If we finish early I’ll come hang out.”

“Whatever” Dana shrugged and plopped down into an empty chair with a huff “Have fun being a loser.”

Santana shook her head and looked to Charlie with a nod “Let me go grab my stuff and I will meet you in your bedroom?”

“Sure” She gave the girl a smile then started toward her room as Santana went toward Dana’s room where she had set her back pack after school.

Rachel watched the girls until they were out of sight. She was so proud of Santana! Studying together was so perfect and Charlie would never suspect it was an attempt to get closer to her. Santana really was trying and that made her heart soar.

Dana rolled her eyes then looked up at Brittany and Quinn across the table from her. She eyed the girls for a second before she used her foot to nudge Brittany under the table. When she caught her attention, Dana gave her a tender smile, and then nodded her head to the side “You wanna play video games with me since Santana ditched me?”

“Sure” Brittany said with a smile. She glanced at Quinn, then Rachel, then nodded quickly “That sounds so fun it’s been forever since I’ve played video games.” Slowly she looked back to Dana and offered a sweet smile before getting out of her seat. She glanced back at the remaining girls at the table and couldn’t help but smile. This might just be a good time for Quinn and Rachel to talk. Even Brittany had noticed their lack of interaction over the last week. 

“See you losers” Dana said with a smile before turning and sliding her arm around Brittany’s shoulders and leading her toward the stairs that would take them to the basement. Brittany threw a wave over her shoulder before they disappeared and left Quinn and Rachel alone.

Rachel glanced over to Quinn before looking down at her hands. It wasn’t that she felt awkward around her, because she didn’t, but she still felt like she was walking on eggshells. She didn’t want to upset her and she wasn’t sure how to avoid doing that. So she just picked at her napkin and tried to avoid eye contact.

Quinn looked over at Rachel and immediately she felt bad. She hated the thought that the girl felt awkward around her. Then the words of only wanting friendship echoed in her head and the pain rose up in her throat. She never had a chance with this girl and probably never would.

“Do you want to go look at the stars?” Rachel said softly, breaking Quinn’s train of thought. She had to break up the awkward silence between them and that was the first thing she could think to ask.

“Huh?” Quinn asked softly, only having half heard what she had said.

“Outside” Rachel said with a shrug “Since everyone else is busy? My fathers are out of town again so I am here for the weekend again. But if you have plans, that’s fine. I can just watch t.v.”

“No” Quinn said quickly and watched Rachel’s face fall. She frowned and reached over to touch her arm quickly “I mean no I don’t have other plans. We can go outside.”

“Oh” Rachel’s smile grew and she nodded a bit “Alright then. I think Charlie’s telescope is still outside from when we were trying to find Mars.”

Quinn nodded and pulled her hand away, her fingers tingling where she had touched Rachel. She smiled a bit as she stood from the table and waited for Rachel to join as well. The two girls walked outside and as Rachel quickly worked to pull Charlie’s telescope onto the porch Quinn just watched. Her breath hitched as she realized they were alone. No one to distract them or interrupt them.

“Oh” Rachel frowned as she looked over the side of the porch to the yard “Shoot, I dropped the cap. Hold on” She gave Quinn a quick smile then ran down the steps. She bent over to dig the cap out of the flower bed and Quinn couldn’t help but look at her ass. Not that she had really meant to but as soon as the girl had bent over, her eyes had dropped. It was those damn short skirts that showed just enough and yet not quite enough all at the same time.

“Here we go” Rachel lifted it in the air then jogged back up the steps with a grin “Charlie would kill me if I lost that.”

“We don’t want that” Quinn whispered and when Rachel questioned what she had said, she just shook her head “Nothing. What are we going to look at?”

“What do you want to see?” Rachel asked with a shrug before leaning into the eye piece and looking to the sky. She adjusted a few knobs and once the stars were in focus pulled back and looked over at Quinn expectantly. Their eyes met through the darkened night around them and Rachel drew in a breath. Quinn had some incredible eyes.

Quinn just stared at Rachel, her mouth gaping open, her gaze lost in Rachel’s eyes. When she spoke about what she wanted to see, she hardly heard it. She just nodded her head a little and gave her a soft smile. Friendship would not do. She needed more from this girl.

“Quinn?” Rachel asked softly, wondering what was going on and why she was standing there in silence. “Are you alright? You have a really funny look on your face.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Santana smiled as she watched Charlie telling her how atoms linked together to form different elements. She was twirling a piece of hair around her finger, laying on her stomach near Charlie, and watching the way her lips were moving. It was absolutely intoxicating.

“It’s just about math, really” Charlie said with a nod, pointing to the notebook where she had written her notes from the class lesson that day. “You add and subtract electrons and neutrons as they link together with nearby atoms. Like if this one has three electrons and it links with this one, there are now five. Do you see?”

Santana looked up when Charlie looked up. Her eyebrows lifted and she quickly looked back down on at the paper. “Oh yeah, totally.” She bit her lip and fought a laugh. She had not been paying attention.

This was something Charlie had picked up on and she sighed softly “Why did you ask me to help you if you weren’t going to pay attention?”

Santana lifted a shoulder in a half shrug and shook her head. She just looked up at the girl and when their eyes met she had to swallow a lump in her throat. She has the most amazing green eyes she had ever seen.  “I, uh…”

“Well” Charlie sat up from having been lying on her stomach next to the girl and shut her notebook “Look, if this is some joke so you can waste my time, you can forget it. I’m not going to let you sucker me into some cruel joke that you are undoubtedly setting me up for.”

“No” Santana sat up quickly and reached out to set her fingers against Charlie’s arm “I’m not setting you up for some joke or prank or anything. I just..”

“Just?” Charlie eyed the girl carefully, almost expecting her start laughing and give up the plan she had in the works.

Santana took a deep breath then sat back so she was propped back on one arm as the other played with the hem of her cheer skirt. She bit at her lip and slowly lifted her eyes to find Charlie’s gaze on her. She shook her head and offered a sincerely shy smile “Do you remember that rose you found in your locker last week?”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“No you have to push the x button” Dana said with a laugh as she paused the game for the fourth time and reached over to Brittany’s controller and pointed “That one right there makes you jump. If you hold the trigger you can run and then press x to jump further and higher.”

“This one?” Brittany asked with a smile as her finger lifted to touch at the trigger. Dana’s finger had still been lying against the button and was now trapped between the button and Brittany’s finger. Dana let out a soft laugh as a blush filled her cheeks and she looked up to look at Brittany with a nod.

“Yeah that’s the one” Dana whispered softly, staring into her bright blue eyes. She felt a lump form in her throat and she had to swallow it away quickly. 

“Sorry” Brittany whispered with a shy smile on her lips. Her finger still pressing against Dana’s finger slid now and traced down over her knuckle and down to her hand. She bit at her bottom lip and lifted a single shoulder in a shy shrug “Am I doing it right?”

Dana drew in a shaky breath as goosebumps spread over her arm. She slowly nodded as her eyes flickered from the sky blue orbs staring at her down to her soft pink lips and back to her eyes. She licked at her own lips then offered a crooked half smile “Almost.”

“What can I do to get it right?” Brittany asked with a smirk and a crinkle of her nose.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Fine” Quinn breathed out when Rachel had come over to check on her. She had been just staring at Rachel for an entire minute and it had truly unsettled Rachel. But as soon as her hand had touched against Quinn’s forehead to check her temperature, Quinn had been snapped out of her trance and backed up out of her touch. She offered a smile and nodded “Sorry I was just thinking about what I wanted to see. You know how sometimes you get deep in thought and just drift off?”

“No” Rachel said with a shrug of just one shoulder as her hands folded together in front of her. She looked Quinn up and down and after deciding she seemed to be standing on her own accord and didn’t look like she was going to pass out, she nodded and turned back to the telescope. “How about Venus?”

“Sure” Quinn nodded and looked up toward the sky. She was silent for a moment as Rachel looked into the lens. She decided to look at Rachel as little as possible so she wouldn’t get caught staring again. Her eyes scanned the sky and all of the stars that had come into view since the sun had set not long before. It really was beautiful.

“Here” Rachel pulled away from the telescope and motioned for Quinn to come over. She held it in just the right place and waited for Quinn to slowly make her way over and dip her head. “Just go ahead and look straight into it. If you want to zoom a little, use this here.” Her hand wrapped around the eye piece and moved it back and forth a bit to show Quinn what she meant.

“Like this?” Quinn asked, her hand lifting and covering Rachel’s that was still against the eye piece. Her hand froze for a moment and her eyes closed. There was a definite electrical charge surging back and forth between their fingers. It was undeniable. She had to take a deep breath to steady herself and after a moment, her fingers gripped and turned the piece, trying to ignore the fact that she was now holding Rachel’s hand.

“Perfect” Rachel whispered softly and looked up into the sky. “You are looking for the blue one next to the bright one.” She smiled and bent down again near where Quinn’s face was pressed to the lens, watching the side of her face she could see. “Can you see it?”

“I think so” Quinn gripped a little harder now, not really turning it to focus or zoom, just wanting to hold Rachel’s hand a little longer. “Oh, wait, yeah I see it!” She smiled as her eye focused on the blue that Rachel was talking about.

Rachel smiled widely when she saw the smile that Quinn had on her lips. She nodded a bit, still watching her face as she looked through the telescope “So what do you think?”

Quinn looked up from the eye piece now and when she did her eyes met Rachel’s. With how Rachel had leaned down to watch Quinn they were now face to face, inches apart, and a flash from the night with the car and the bushes came to mind. Her eyes flickered to Rachel’s lips and her breath caught in her throat. Her lips managed to flicker into a smile and she nodded as a shaky whisper escaped her lips “Beautiful.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“How did you know about that?” Charlie asked softly, her cheeks lighting into a full on blush. “I only told Rachel. Wait, did she tell you?”

“No” Santana whispered softly. She bit her lip and for a moment felt guilty that she had made Charlie think Rachel had told a secret like that. Rachel had helped her out, she didn’t want Charlie getting mad at her. “No, Rachel didn’t say a word.”

“Then how did you-“

Before Santana could lose the nerve, she blurted out “It was me.” Her eyes were on her hands at the words and when Charlie didn’t react right away she slowly brought her gaze up. She was greeted with a very shocked and confused looking Charlie. Her heart jumped and she wondered immediately if it had been a mistake. Before she could ask, though, Charlie was speaking.

“But why?”

Santana licked her lips and gave a little shrug of her shoulders “I like you, Charlie. When I say I like you I mean as, like, you know more than just a friend.” She shrugged and took a deep breath, letting out a slow sigh “I wanted to, you know, make an effort to show you that I liked you because hitting on you all the time and stuff was not working.”

“No kidding” Charlie dead panned. She shook her head a bit as she thought about the information she had just gotten. She was quiet for a long time before looking back to the girl and giving her a smile. “The rose was really sweet.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Brit” Dana breathed out as the blonde’s fingers trickled over the back of her hand and onto her wrist. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as her eyes focused on Brittany’s “I really want you and you are driving me nuts right now but what about Santana?” Brittany would have no idea how much that had pained Dana to say. Really.

Brittany’s eyes fell to her hand and her lips curled into a frown. She let out a soft sigh and her hand pulled away from Dana’s before her shoulders lifted into a shrug “She doesn’t want me, Dana. I’m not her property, you know?”

“But she’s my best friend” Dana whispered again, already missing the touch from her soft delicate fingers.

Brittany nodded as she leaned forward to set the game controller on the table between the t.v. and them. She looked over at Dana and gave her a soft smile before she reached out to lightly touch at her hand again, this time it was more comforting and less, well, flirty. “Do you like me?”

“That’s an understatement” Dana breathed out through a laugh.

Brittany smiled at that and took Dana’s hand now. She lightly held onto it, rubbing her thumb over her knuckles, and giving it a squeeze “Then you have to decide whether I am worth the risk of Santana getting mad.”

A chill slid up Dana’s spine at the feel of Brittany’s hand on her. As the words of surprising wisdom lifted to her ears she visibly shivered. She didn’t want to lose her best friend but this girl right here in front of her drove her wild. There was hardly a day that passed that she didn’t think about her and smile. No one had ever made her feel that way before. When her eyes lifted from their hands and found Brittany so sweetly staring at her in anticipation, she lost all regard for anything and leaned forward without hesitation. As their lips met, a spark flew, and in that moment Dana knew this was worth it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Rachel blushed at Quinn’s words. Even though she was almost sure she was talking about Venus, the look she had in her eyes at that moment and the tone with which she spoke made her feel like Quinn had just called her beautiful. No one had ever called her beautiful before. It sent a shiver down her spine.

Quinn saw the shiver and immediately she frowned.  “Are you cold?” She asked softly, the tone more caring and genuine than Rachel might have ever heard her use. 

“No” Rachel said quickly, still keeping the gaze they were both seemingly so intent on sharing.

“Oh” Quinn said with a smile before licking at her lips. Neither of them had moved from the hunched over position even though neither of them were using the telescope anymore. The view Quinn had right now was a thousand times better.

“Why are you cold?” Rachel asked and immediately felt stupid for. Of course she wasn’t cold, she hadn’t even shivered! What had she been thinking?

Quinn laughed softly and blinked for the first time since their eyes had locked. “Not at all” she replied as her eyes flickered and took in the shape of Rachel’s lips. It was brief but it was enough to refresh the memory of the bush and how close their lips had been. Their lips were almost that close together now. Maybe if she leaned in just a little she could touch a soft kiss-

“Girls?” Judy stepped out onto the porch and immediately both Rachel and Quinn straightened up. Quinn whipped around and looked at her mother with half a mind to murder her right then and there.

“What?” Quinn growled through gritted teeth.

“I was coming to check on you. Where are your sisters?” Judy stood with an empty wine glass in her eyes, her glossy eyes looking at both girls slowly “What are you doing out here?”

“Studying astronomy” Rachel said with a soft smile. “Charlie and Santana are studying as well, in her room I believe. I think Dana and Brittany are playing video games.”

“Oh” Just said with a nod. She looked the girls over then shrugged “Don’t be out here too late. Your father and I are going to bed.” With that she turned around and headed back into the house. Quinn let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, putting a hand over her face. She couldn’t believe that had just happened.

“We better get inside.” Rachel whispered softly, reaching for the cap and putting it on the end of the telescope before scooting it toward the corner of the porch so it was out of the way. Once she was done she looked up at Quinn with a shy smile, biting at her bottom lip, and offering a shrug “Maybe we can all set up the downstairs for a movie again?”

“Sure” Quinn said with a shrug before starting inside. She was way too embarrassed to even look at Rachel. She had almost kissed her, what had she been thinking? How could she be so stupid?

“Quinn?” Rachel’s questioning tone came out a bit softer than she had intended but Quinn had stopped in the doorway so she knew she had heard it. She took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the girl. She put a hand on her shoulder but didn’t dare turn her around. She stared at the back of her head for a moment before lifting on her tip toes and leaning in to whisper against her ear, her hot breath hitting Quinn’s skin and causing goosebumps as she spoke “I felt it too.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Santana had blushed when Charlie told her the rose was sweet, which in turn made Charlie blush. The two girls had looked away from each other nervously and there was an awkward type silence that had fallen around the room. Santana had no idea what to do next and Charlie was still trying to absorb the fact that someone has legitimately left that rose on purpose.

After far too long in silence, Santana cleared her throat and looked up. She smiled when Charlie had looked up too at the sound of her clearing her throat. They shared a shy smile and Santana let out a laugh as she rolled her eyes at herself. “Look, so now you know. So I was wondering if you would like want to go on a date. Like a real one, not where we study chemistry or anything.”

“This wasn’t a date” Charlie said, pointing to their books and the notes she had taken. “You never asked me this as a date. This was purely educational.”

“Charlie” Santana smirked a bit, the amusement on her face obvious as she stared at the girl with bright eyes “I’m an honor roll student. If my grades slipped my abuela would kick my ass and Sue would kick me off the squad. This was my attempt at spending some time with you because I was too afraid to ask you out.”

Charlie opened her mouth to say something then stopped and looked at the girl. Her smug little smirk made her want to punch her out. It was kind of adorable, too, though. Wait, no, she thought Santana was cute? What was happening? She let out a huff of a sigh and rolled her eyes, trying to seem disinterested in everything. “Well whatever. See if I ever offer to help you out again.”

“Oh come on” Santana said with a smile, scooting herself closer to Charlie and giving her a nudge with her shoulder “You got to admit it worked, right? Besides, now you totally know about the rose and I totally got the balls to ask you out. So what do you say?”

Charlie looked up at saw that smirk again. This time it was less smug and more of a slight smile. There was hope in her eyes and Charlie could tell that this was a legitimate attempt at trying to romance her. It was a little weird to see Santana so soft, so genuine, but it was also refreshing. A small smile came to her lips and she gave a slight nod of her head “Okay, sure.” She rolled her eyes and pushed Santana away from her “But if you grope me once I am breaking your fingers.”

“Deal” Santana said with a soft laugh, pushing Charlie back with a playful nudge. Their eyes caught and their smiles both grew as they shared a deep stare. It only last a minute before Quinn was storming into the room with Rachel behind her.

“Are you guys done? Rachel wants to watch a movie” She folded her arms and rolled her eyes, acting as annoyed as possible to hide her still lingering embarrassment and the awkwardness that would come with seeing Rachel again.

“Sure” Charlie said with a shrug. She leaned forward and scooped up all her notes before tucking them into her book and tossing them onto her desk. She got to her feet and gave her friend a soft smile before looking at her sister “Let’s just get changed into some pjs and we will go make Brittany and Dana give up the t.v. downstairs so we can watch a movie.” Charlie glanced to Santana and offered her a smile “You’re staying the night, right?”

Santana nodded and got to her feet, brushing off her hands, and glancing at Quinn “Yep, sure am. Q, let’s go find something to sleep in.” She nudged Quinn then looked back to Charlie as she turned to head out of her room “See you in a few minutes.” The girls shared one last smile before Quinn and Santana pushed past Rachel on their way out, Quinn making sure not to look at her, and Rachel shook her head a bit. She watched Quinn and Santana until they were across at the other end of the hall and in Quinn’s room. 

“Your sister is so hard to read sometimes” Rachel mumbled, shutting the door and heading for her bag of clothes.

“Welcome to my life. What did you two end up doing?” Charlie asked, still all smiles, digging through her dresser for clothes.

“We just checked out a few planets and stars on the telescope” Rachel shrugged and pulled out a sleep shirt “How did studying go?”

“Surprisingly well” Charlie admitted with a nod. “Now get dressed and let’s get downstairs.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	7. One moment to call ours

 

Dana’s lips weren’t as soft as Santana’s and she tasted like cigarettes but Brittany didn’t care. She liked it. It was so different from Santana, almost completely opposite, and that was more arousing than she had expected. It was just what she needed, she thought, to truly move on from Santana completely. She let out a soft moan as their lips parted to allow in some air, making both Dana and Brittany smile. This was going a lot better than Dana could have ever expected.

She had shed the heavy jean vest she wore nearly every day and it now lay on the floor somewhere close. Her boots were long gone, and the stubborn chains that she thought made her look bad ass had served as annoyances and obstacles so they had quickly been discarded as well. The old plaid button up she wore under the vest was half undone and her skirt hiked up to her waist on one side. Brittany’s hands definitely knew what they wanted and were going after it.

Her own hands worked swiftly enough as the two of them lay there together on the couch, tongues tangled together in an increasingly desperate kiss. She pushed her hand up the shirt Brittany wore, taking notice to how tight her abs were under her silky skin. As her fingers ventured further, they didn’t hesitate to push right up under the material of the bra against Brittany’s chest, pushing it out of the way to make room for her hand. She cupped gently at her breast and it sent a shiver through her spine. Her body was even more immaculate than she had envisioned in her many, many day dreams about the girl.

The hand on her breast caused Brittany to moan again and her hips to instinctively push upward for contact. When she was greeted with Dana’s hip pushing down at the same time, she had to fight a yelp of pleasure from escaping her lips. The hand that had been buried in the hot pink strands of her hair dropped now and she cupped fiercely at her ass, gripping tight enough to be able to guide her hip down into her over and over again. Soon enough with every pinch or pull of her nipple from Dana’s fingers, their hips were pushing and grinding against one another in a desperate rhythm in search of more. With a single shift now Dana’s thigh slid firmly between her legs and Brittany felt her entire body throb. 

“Oh my god” Charlie and Rachel stood at the end of the couch near where Brittany and Dana’s feet were tangled together. Both of them had their mouths dropped open and their eyes wide with shock.

The words hit Brittany’s ears first and she quickly pushed at Dana’s shoulders enough to break the kiss. She lifted her head and looked down the couch to see the two girls standing there looking stunned. She immediately blushed and rolled toward Dana to hide herself against the girl. Dana glanced over her shoulder, licking her swollen red lips before a smirk formed on her features at the sight of her sister and her friend staring at them.

“What? Never seen two girls going at it? It’s pretty hot, huh?” Dana let out a laugh and the other three girls groaned, Brittany out of embarrassment, Charlie out of disgust, and Rachel out of disappointment. The brunette shook her head and immediately walked around the couch, grabbing Dana by the shirt that now barely clung to her body, and tugged her off the blonde below her. Her eyes got wide at the sudden strength of Rachel who managed to shove her back against the wall since she hadn’t gained her balance yet after being ripped off the couch. “What the Hell, Berry? You ain’t jealous are you? Cause there is plenty of me to go around.” She gave a cocky smirk and licked her lips again.

“Ew, no, I am not jealous” Rachel glanced over the girl who was disheveled and half dressed. She shook her head and motioned to her “Will you please do up your shirt and put your skirt down? Have you even thought about what you were just doing and how it would affect Santana?”

Dana’s face fell for a moment and she looked down at herself. She quickly grabbed the two sides of her shirt and started to button them together, her head shaking a little bit “Why do you care about Lopez? You got a crush on her or something? Is that why you chased after her at Breadstix?”

“Oh my goodness, no! Why are you assuming any of my actions are tied to any sort of romantic feelings toward people? It’s called be a friend, and even more so, a decent human being. You know how she feels or used to feel about Brittany and you, as her best friend, should have taken that into consideration before jumping her on your couch.”

“I didn’t jump her” Dana growled now, looking a lot like Quinn when she did so. “It was mutual, for your information. I’m not Santana, I don’t rape people who say no to my advances.” She smoothed out her shirt then tugged down skirt down in a frustrated huff. “Why don’t you mind your own damn business, Berry?”

“Why don’t you be a decent friend and talk to Santana about your feelings for Brittany.” Rachel huffed and folded her arms. The two girls stared each other down in a heated glare for a long time before Rachel shook her head “She knows you like her, it’s not a secret to her or anyone else now. She’s still hurting and I advise you to take the steps to ease your way into a relationship with Brittany if you still want to consider Santana a friend.”

“Wait she knows? How?” Dana looked a little panicked and looked past Rachel to the couch where Brittany was still blushing as she gathered the items of their discarded clothing and tossed them into the laundry the next room over.

“You’re not sly with your leering. Every time you see her, you light up. You hardly ever swear around her and you laugh at everything she says even if it’s not funny. A blind man would know.” Rachel rolled her eyes, giving a look that said “duh” to the girl standing in front of her. “Look, she likes Charlie and you like Brittany and obviously Brittany likes you, for some reason, so I recommend you talk to her about it. It’s going to be weird but it’s better than sneaking around, or worse, having Santana walk in on the two of your dry humping and hurt her feelings, potentially causing you to lose her as a friend. A little warning might be nice.”

The voices of Santana and Quinn could be heard at the top of the stairs and both Dana and Brittany went wide eyed. Dana nodded quickly and looked at Rachel “Fine, I’ll talk to her just don’t mention it to her, please?”

“Yeah right, like I would even know where to start.” She rolled her eyes and turned away from the girl, moving over to the couch where Brittany was sitting. She gave a smile to the girl, nodding her head and mouthing, “It’s alright” to her. Brittany returned the smile and stood up, both girls now leaning over to push the couch toward the wall. Charlie was just sitting there, looking disgusted at her sister. “Charlie, will you get up so we can push these couches out of the way, please?” Rachel huffed, giving her friend a glare.

Charlie returned the glare then stood up with a huff. She definitely was in a bad mood after what she had walked in on. No one ever wanted to walk in on their sister in the heat of the moment. Ever. She turned around and put her hands on the couch, ready to push. That is when her eyes fell on Santana who had just hit the bottom step and for the first time ever, her face softened and she smiled when she saw the girl.

Rachel rolled her eyes but smiled. Santana must have done something right in that study session because Charlie failed to scowl at her for the first time ever. “Come on, Charlie, push. One, two, three!” The three girls pushed and the couch moved with ease. Once that one was out of the way, they turned and pushed the other. Now with the space clear, they could lay out the blankets and pillows for their bed.

“Where were you two?” Dana asked softly, her face full of guilt when she looked at Santana. Santana didn’t notice, though. She was all smiles.

“We were getting snacks” Quinn said, looking at her arm full of snacks, then back to her sister with a look that said that should have been obvious. “Why is the bed not set up?”

“They were finishing their game” Rachel said quickly. “They just turned it off when you two walked down.” Rachel glanced at Dana and gave her a cheerfully forced grin and Dana just nodded slowly, then more quickly, pointing at Rachel with a smile.

“Right, sorry, we got to a level I just had to beat.”

“Whatever” Quinn mumbled, setting the snacks on the table that formed the headboard area of their floor bed. “You guys set up the bed I’m going to look through the movies.” Just like that, everyone got to work. The couches formed the outer boarders of the bed, the table the top, and the t.v. stand and entertainment center was at their feet. The five of them spread out blankets to cover the carpet between those boundaries and soon the bed was set up for the six of them.

“Can we watch the Time Traveler’s Wife?” Rachel said hopefully as she sat right smack dab in the middle of the bed, pulling the blankets over her, and smiling hopefully at Quinn who was still rifling through the movies.  She looked to her left to see what Dana thought, she was usually first to protest at her movie choice, but the girl had her back to the couch, laying on her side, talking to Brittany who had slipped in next to her. She grinned and looked to her right to see if Santana would complain only to see her with her back against the other couch, sitting with her legs folded, facing Charlie, the two of them in conversation already. No complaints? She looked up to Quinn to see if she was protesting only to find her already sliding the dvd into the player. “Fantastic!” She said, mostly to herself, since no one else seemed to be paying attention.

After putting the movie in, Quinn grabbed the remote and turned to the bed. She paused before she could even take a step. Her eyes scanned the bed and saw the only open spot was to the left of Rachel. Her heart leaped into her throat and she felt herself go warm.

Rachel noticed and for a moment she was hurt. She didn’t know why Quinn didn’t want to sit next to her, especially after they had seemed to grow closer the past week or so. She was about to tell Quinn to just sit down when the blonde girl blurted out “We need napkins” and quickly turned and nearly ran from the room. Rachel frowned and looked down at her hands. What had she ever done to deserve such cold treatment from the girl?

She sat there defeated for a moment before she lifted her head and looked around. Dana and Brittany were giggling about something and Santana was enthralled with something Charlie was explaining. No one had noticed a thing. So she shrugged, took a breath to steel her nerves, and got up. “I am going to go help” She said with a nod, just as a formality really, in case anyone questioned her. Which no one did, so Rachel shrugged and headed up the stairs to find Quinn.

Quinn had her back to the kitchen door, the packet of napkins clutched to her chest, and her eyes closed. She was breathing deeply. She was trying to convince herself that she could do downstairs, sit by Rachel, watch a movie, and not be completely distracted with thoughts of what had nearly happened on the balcony earlier.

Rachel saw Quinn as she peeked her head in the door and immediately she frowned. She looked like she was sad, almost. Sure, her back was to her and she couldn’t see her face, but the body language almost looked defeated. She took another deep breath then slowly slid into the kitchen. She cleared her throat and spoke “Quinn?”

Quinn jumped a little, causing her to pull the napkins to her chest a little more tightly. Her eyes came open and she drew in a quick breath. She licked her lips then softly whispered “What?”

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but stopped and shook her head. She took a few more soft steps toward the girl until she was just within arm’s reach of her. She looked down at her hands where she nervously twisted and pulled at her own fingers, trying to decide how to approach the subject. Realizing she was standing in silence she cleared her throat again and looked at the back of Quinn’s head “We’re friends, right?”

_ Friends. _ There was that horrible word. Quinn wanted to whip around and yell at her, tell her that she didn’t want to be friends, that she wanted more and it infuriated her to think of them as just friends. But she swallowed that urge that was rising in her throat and simply nodded, squeaking out a calm “Yeah, I guess.”

“Then why do you act like it’s horrible to be around me? I saw the look you got on your face when you realized the only seat available was the one next to me. I thought we had a nice time on the balcony. Am I really that bad?” Rachel’s shoulders slumped and her eyes cast down to her feet. She felt tears starting to form but she didn’t want to cry.

“You’re not horrible, Rachel” Quinn felt bad. She didn’t even have to look at her to know that Rachel was frowning. It was palpable. She could feel it. She shook her head and finally turned, lifting her eyes to see the girl looking downtrodden beside her. Her heart twisted in her chest and she reached out without thinking and put her hand on her shoulder “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you think I didn’t want to sit by you.”

“Then what is it?” Rachel’s tone sounded desperate now as her eyes lifted and there was a pleading look on her face as she met Quinn’s eyes “Why did you run like I had the plague?”

“Because I can’t handle being near you” Quinn spat out before she meant to. When she saw Rachel’s face twist in confusion, she quickly shook her head and tried to stammer out an explanation “I mean, not in a bad way. I just, Rachel, I don’t know.” She failed and let out a deflating sigh as her eyes dropped to her feet.

Rachel had felt even worse when she said she couldn’t handle being near her. Then she saw the panic in her eyes and the way she stammered and looked defeated and she knew it hadn’t been cruel. She drew in a steadying breath and lifted a surprisingly still hand to lie on Quinn’s shoulder. “The balcony” She whispered, nodding her head slightly “Is that what you mean?”

Quinn shook her head but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what to say. Saying yes would, well, have repercussions she wasn’t ready for and saying no would just confuse and hurt Rachel even more. So she stood there like a silent idiot, letting Rachel figure it out for herself because she was too afraid to do it on her own.

Rachel’s hand moved from her shoulder to her cheek, brushing her fingers against her face before she scooped them under her chin and started to pull “Look at me, Quinn.”

Quinn refused. She turned her face away, pulling her chin from her grip.

“We had a moment out there” Rachel snapped out in frustration and grabbed Quinn’s chin again, this time a bit more roughly, and started to pull “Look at me, Quinn. Look at me and tell me we didn’t have a moment.” Her tone was dripping with desperation, fear, and pleading. She just wanted a damn answer out of her!

“I can’t, Rachel” Quinn snapped and her eyes shot up. Green met brown and the two of them were locked in a gaze more intense than either of them had ever felt. Quinn was trembling and goosebumps were forming on her skin as she stared into her eyes, unable to look away even though she so desperately wanted to. She didn’t want to be looking right into her eyes, into her soul, and still denying everything she felt deep down inside. She felt like a fireball ready to explode.

“We had a moment” Rachel whispered with less fire than before and more truth. Her eyes shifted as she tried to look into both Quinn’s eyes at the same time. Her heart was thundering against her rib cage as the tension mounted. She just wanted Quinn to admit it.

Quinn bit her lower lip and fought the words but the found their way to the surface and she spat them out before she could stop them “Fine, we had a moment! What’s the big deal?”

Rachel’s heart fluttered and the gaze went from less determined to more admiration as her face softened. Their stare they were locked in did not falter, but Rachel’s tone was softened the next time she spoke “Life is about moments, Quinn. Life is a bunch of moments strung together with how you deal with each moment you are given. It’s what life is all about.” Her hand reached out, gripping lightly at Quinn’s arm before her touch slid down, tracing her arm all the way until she was able to link her fingers with Quinn’s gently. She gave a soft squeeze and her face was taken over with a smile “This is our moment to deal with together.”

Quinn’s lip curled into a sneer and her head shook as her body tried to put the wall of denial back to the fore front. She still couldn’t look away from the girl, her eyes were saying everything her body couldn’t, and yet she was still trying to lie to herself. “We have nothing to deal with together, Rachel.” But the grip of her hand tightened against Rachel’s fingers and it was obvious she didn’t believe the words she had just said.

Neither did Rachel. She simply returned the squeeze and her head nodded. Without saying a word she moved closer. She saw Quinn’s eyes widen but nowhere in her stare was the word no. Her own eyes flickered with a soft assurance that it would be alright and in that moment Quinn’s stare softened to a gaze. A smile twitched on the corner of Rachel’s mouth, her pink tongue streaked across her lips to moisten them just enough, then for the first time in many long minutes her eyes closed to break the dead lock stare as she pressed her lips to Quinn’s tightly.

Immediately Quinn wanted to push her away. But she didn’t. She drew in a deep breath through her nose and her chin tilted up to take more of the kiss. Her body was telling her to stop, that this was not what she wanted, that she should not be kissing Rachel Berry and yet she continued. Her heart was screaming out an echoing yes that vibrated through her ribs and down to her stomach. Her gut twisted with excitement and her hand that was held with Rachel’s tightened its grip. Slowly the denial started to melt from her body. The longer their lips sat pressed together, the warmer she became as the ice that guarded her every nerve dripped away into a puddle of relief at her feet. For months she had wanted to just pin this girl against the wall and kiss her with all her might and now that her lips held steadily against Rachel’s she knew fighting that urge from now on would be nearly impossible.

Minutes passed before Rachel finally pulled back to break the kiss. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she backed up and opened her eyes, watching the way Quinn’s face looked as realization came to her. When her green eyes opened and they met again, the stare down was less tension filled and more dreamy. Both girls had a goofy smile on their faces and Rachel swept her tongue along her lips to pull in the last little bit of flavor from the kiss. Her cheeks immediately started to burn pink when she realized what she had just done and she let off a soft giggle. “I, uh…” She shrugged and shook her head. She was pretty sure the kiss spoke for itself.

Quinn nodded quickly and let out a soft laugh herself “Yeah, totally” She whispered in agreement. The two of them shared a soft smile, gazing into one another’s eyes, until finally Quinn cleared her throat and let her hand slide out of Rachel’s “So we should totally get back downstairs before they come looking for us.”

“Oh, yeah” Rachel nodded quickly and stepped back, pushing some bangs off her face and fighting another smile that swept across her face “They are probably waiting on us to start the movie.”

“Totally” Quinn repeated, grinning again when she saw Rachel grinning. They stared at each other for another moment before Quinn had to nodded and let out laugh to break the stare “Okay, go” She pointed toward the door of the kitchen “We have to actually walk.”

“Right!” Rachel laughed at herself and turned around to head to the door. She was still smiling from ear to ear when she pushed the door open, pausing to wait for Quinn. When the girl passed and she saw her smiling as well, butterflies came to life in her stomach. They had just kissed and Rachel wasn’t dead for it. In fact, Quinn had liked it! Liked it so much she was now a giggling, stammering fool just like Rachel was. She was pretty sure this was the greatest feeling in the world.

The two of them moved silently to the steps, both still grinning idiots, not saying a word but both purposely now trying to brush against the other’s hand as they walked. When they reached the top of the steps, Rachel reached out and grabbed Quinn’s wrist, pulling her to a stop. Her heart leaped. Quinn’s skin tingled where Rachel touched her. Their eyes met and Rachel drew in a deep breath “That was my first kiss.”

“It was?” Quinn looked shocked. She didn’t know why she was shocked, Rachel wasn’t the girl that got looked at in school. She was the one that everyone over looked. Still it shocked Quinn. “But you did it so well.”

“I did?” Rachel’s smile grew and she blushed again “Well good. I suppose the many romantic movies I have watched paid off.”

“You’re such a dork” Quinn said with a warm laugh, reaching out to brush some hair from Rachel’s eyes. Their gazes met again and she nodded slowly “It was good. It was so good I’m already thinking about another one.”

“Really?” Rachel breathed out as her tongue hungrily swiped over her lips “Because I was too.”

“Then maybe we should” Quinn whispered, already starting to lean in again, licking her own lips now as she drew within a breath from her lips.

“Come on you two I want to watch a movie!” Santana called from the bottom of the stairs. 

Luckily the first few steps were around a corner and she couldn’t see them at the top of the steps or she would have seen them just about to kiss. Rachel blushed and let out a laugh. Quinn rolled her eyes in frustration before turning her head “We’re coming!” She turned to Rachel and smiled “Later” she whispered before taking the lead, putting a few steps between she and Rachel so it didn’t look like they were coming down together.

“About time” Dana said with a roll of her eyes “Where did you two go anyway?”

“To get napkins for the snacks. I told you but you must not have heard me” Rachel said with a roll of her eyes as she hit the bottom step and moved over to the bed now. Quinn spread out the napkins on the table then grabbed the bowl of popcorn before sitting on the bed next to Rachel. They shared a smile then she reached for the remote and pressed play.

“Finally” Charlie said with a nod as she adjusted herself on the bed so her back was to Santana. She was lying a lot closer to Santana than she needed to though and Rachel could have sworn she saw the blanket move where Santana slid her arm around her waist. Aw how cute.

They all settled in for the movie in silence. Quinn and Rachel shared the popcorn, grinning every time one would reach in and brush their hand against the other. They stole little glances here and there but no one seemed to notice. As the move wore on, the popcorn was gone and the bowl placed back on the table. Quinn and Rachel had slid under the blankets now and their hands were tangled together in the tiny space between their bodies where they lay side by side. 

Brittany had long since drifted off and was lying with her head on Dana’s shoulder, her arm around her waist.  Dana’s hand rubbed up and down her back lightly, playing with her hair softly as she watched the movie. On the other side Charlie and Santana were both sleeping. Charlie had a smile on her lips and every so often Rachel could see Santana giving her a soft hug with her arm that was draped across her waist. It had been an interesting night, to say the least.

As the movie came to a close, Rachel turned to look at Quinn only to find her asleep. She grinned at the fact that she was still holding her hand tightly under the blankets. Rachel lifted her head and saw Dana had drifted off as well. Reaching with her free hand, she grabbed the remote and turned everything off, leaving the room in almost complete blackness, the only light was the one shining from above the stairs behind them. Rachel gave Quinn’s hand a soft squeeze before she lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss against her cheek. She could have sworn she saw Quinn smile in her sleep. As her eyes closed, she took a deep breath and let out a happy sigh. This had been one of the best nights of her life.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The rest of the weekend did not go according to plan, in Rachel’s eyes. Her fathers had demanded she come home since they had been busy or out of town the past few weeks and wanted some quality time with her. She loved her fathers and was glad to see them but they had horrible timing. She had dreamt of spending the entire weekend with Quinn, stealing kissing, giggling, and holding hands. Now she had to spend the weekend wondering if Quinn was having second thoughts about what had happened. Plus she was dying to know if Dana spoke to Santana and if Charlie and Santana had a date. Her fathers were really inconveniencing her social life. She smiled at that. She had a social life!

“Rachel, sweetie, are you alright? You have hardly touched your dinner” Hiram asked softly, worry in his eyes. 

“I’m fine” She said with a quick nod “I was just trying to remember if I finished my homework or not.”

“You and Charlie didn’t do it yesterday?” Her father looked surprised at that. Charlie was just about as anal as Rachel was when it came to good grades and homework.

“No” Rachel said with a little shake of her head. She drifted off into thought again and after a moment it dawned on her “We didn’t have homework! That’s right. She helped Santana study but we didn’t have any homework to do ourselves.”

“Are those girls being nice to you? You know you have the right to stand up to them. Just because they are your best friend’s sister’s friends doesn’t mean you have to take being pushed around by those bullies.”

“They’re fine” Rachel said with a little smile “We are all getting along really well, actually. It’s been nice.”

“Really?” Both of her fathers seemed surprised at hear that.

Rachel let out a soft laugh and nodded “Things have been really great, dad and daddy. We are all falling into a nice little friendship!” Both of her fathers looked stunned at the news and shared a surprised look. Rachel rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh as she grabbed her plate and stood from the table “I promise, things are fine. Now if you don’t mind I am going to take my dinner to my room and read a little while I finish eating.”

“If you’re sure, sweetie.” Her father nodded and Rachel quickly slid away from the table and headed up to her room. Once she was safely inside the walls of her own room she set her food on her desk and plopped down on her bed. She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, pressing the pads of her finger and thumb against her eyelids. All she could think of were Quinn’s lips. It was driving her crazy. She wondered how the girl would act when they saw each other next. Would she be as happy and giggly as she had been after the kiss or would she suck back into her shell and deny everything again?

She couldn’t stand the wondering any longer. She reached for her cell phone and started to type out a text to Quinn. She read it over a few times, changed a few words, and then re-read it. She nodded and smiled as she pressed send, hoping that it wouldn’t come off as pushy.

_ I hope you have been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about you. Just remember this moment is ours together. _

She stared at her phone and immediately thought that it was a stupid idea. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She shouldn’t have sent it. What was she thinking? Quinn was going to freak out and go back into her shell and start being mean again. She was about to start freaking when she felt her phone go off. Her heart jumped into her throat and she bit at her lip as she flipped the screen open and pressed read.

_ I can’t wait to see you. _

Five simple words. Rachel was grinning from ear to ear at those five little words. She couldn’t wait to see her! Her heart was soaring, doing flips in the sky and fluttering with the birds! She fell back on her bed and closed her eyes as she clutched her phone to her chest. For the first time since starting high school Rachel couldn’t wait for school!

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Hi Rachel” Quinn said with a smile as Rachel climbed into the Fabray SUV on Monday morning. Dana was driving and Charlie was sitting all the way in the back. Quinn had the chair pulled forward so she could climb in next to her friend. The girls shared a smile as Rachel sat and Quinn put the chair back, letting it click in place.

“We all ready then?” Dana called but before anyone could say yes, she was pushing the gas and speeding away. Next stop was Brittany’s house and she wanted to see her. 

“Did you have a good weekend?” Rachel asked Quinn softly, her smile unable to be contained as she looked at the girl.

Quinn nodded slowly, fighting her own smile as her soft eyes fell upon Rachel’s features “It was alright. You were missed, though.”

“What?” Charlie looked between her sister and her friend and let out an exasperated laugh “You missed her?”

Quinn blinked and looked at her sister, shrugging and rolling her eyes “I just meant it was weird for her not to be at the house all weekend that’s all.” She glanced at Rachel and smiled before turning around and facing forward.

Charlie perked an eyebrow and looked at Rachel with a shrug “She’s been weird all weekend, just ignore her.”

“Right” Rachel nodded as a slow smile came to her lips “Definitely will.”

Dana came to a stop in front of Brittany’s house and honked the horn a few times with a smile. Her eyes were trained on the house and as soon as the blonde appeared and started to skip toward the car, Dana’s face softened. She was so cute, skipping to the car! A happy sigh left her lips as Brittany opened the door and slid in next to Quinn “Hey Britt.” She said with a grin, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

“Hey, Dana” Brittany blushed a little and pushed some hair behind her ear, nodding before she looked over at Quinn “Hey, Q.”

Charlie and Rachel exchanged a look at the way Dana and Brittany interacted. Charlie rolled her eyes but Rachel just smiled. She thought it was cute! 

Dana stared at the girl for a few minutes before Quinn looked at her and shrugged “We can go now!” Dana let out a laugh and shook her head, stepping on the gas and heading to Santana’s house. She honked the horn loudly then turned around and gave Brittany a smile before looking at her sisters “Hey Q, can I have five bucks for lunch?”

“Didn’t mom give you money before we left?” Quinn asked with a roll of her eyes.

Dana shrugged and gave her a smile “She found out I was using the money to buy cigarettes and packed me a lunch instead.” 

“Then, no. Eat your packed lunch.” Quinn folded her arms in a huff. Brittany found and pulled out her wallet. She looked into her cash spot and offered Dana some money “Here, you can have mine. We can trade.”

“No, Britt, that’s okay” She gave the girl a soft smile “Quinn is right I should just eat my lunch that mom packed.”

“Well how about we share? I will buy something and then we can share it at lunch today?”

Dana gave her a warm smile and nodded “It’s a date.” The two girls shared a goofy smile until Santana pulled her door open and hopped into the front seat. She huffed and pushed the hair out of her face with a sigh “Hey bitches, let’s get to school.” She half turned and caught Charlie’s eyes. The two shared a smile but it was broken up by Dana stomping on the gas and starting them toward the school. 

Rachel noticed Charlie’s smile and that made her smile. She liked seeing her friend happy even if she wouldn’t talk to her about it. All in good time, she thought. She knew Charlie was a very private person and she wanted to figure out what was going on before she talked to anyone else about it. When there was something to really know, Rachel would be the first to know she was sure of it.

The girls were all quiet as they rode the rest of the way to the school. Everyone seemed to be in particularly good moods that morning which was a sign of things to come, Rachel was sure of it. She could remember only a handful of times that all of the girls had been in a good mood and the days that followed always turned out great. Rachel folded her arms and sat back, smiling as she watched the city go by. She just felt it in her bone that this was going to be a good day.

When Dana finally pulled into the school parking lot and found a spot, the girls all piled out of the van. Brittany got out first and pulled the seat up to let Rachel and Charlie out of the back seat. Rachel gave her a knowing smile, winking at her a little before she paused and waited for Charlie to get out too. They had the same first class together so they always headed off that way immediately.

“Can I walk you to class?” Santana, who had gotten out of the front seat, now came up next to Charlie and gave her a smile. Charlie perked an eyebrow and looked at the girl before looking at Rachel with wide eyes. Rachel immediately nodded at her friend and smiled. That was such a romantic gesture from Santana that Rachel would feel bad not letting her friend enjoy it. 

“I’ll catch up” She said to the girls before Charlie turned with Santana, giving her a sweet smile before they headed off in the direction of her first class. Rachel just watched them go for a moment before letting out a happy sigh and looked at the other girls “Well I better go. See you all at lunch.”

“Rachel, wait” Quinn said as she stumbled out of the SUV, grinning a little bit as she approached the girl. They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes lost in each other before Quinn realized she was staring and quickly blinked and looked down to the blue notebook she was holding “You forgot your notebook.”

Rachel looked down and immediately she knew that notebook wasn’t hers. All of her notebooks were pink, every single one, and labeled with which class she used that notebook for. She started to shake her head and tell Quinn that she had made a mistake when Quinn nodded and thrust the notebook into her hands. “You wouldn’t want to forget your note for your first class.” She bit her lip then looked back at the notebook, tapping it softly before her eyes lifted to Rachel’s once more “See you later.”

Rachel just nodded and watched Quinn turn and head toward the school. She could have sworn the girl had an extra sashay in her hips as she walked. Not that Rachel was looking! No, she wasn’t. She cleared her throat and shook her head, peeling her eyes away from the swaying hips with a smile on her face. Okay so she totally looked, sue her.

She bit at her lip and clutched the notebook to her chest as she headed to her class. She felt like she was walking on a cloud or something. She hardly even remembered her feet hitting the floor but the next thing she knew she was at her first classroom door and the bell was about to ring. She paused outside the door and looked down to the notebook and the words Quinn spoke echoed through her head.

_ You wouldn’t want to forget your note. _

Note? Not plural? She perked an eyebrow and pulled the cover of the notebook open. She looked at the pages and just saw notes. History notes to be exact. Quinn’s hand writing was pretty but there wasn’t anything particularly important in there. Well, important because Quinn needed the notes for class but not important enough to have been so adamant about her taking the notebook. She frowned in disappointment and shook her head. She was stupid for thinking there was something in there for her.

She used her thumb to flip through all the pages quickly before clapping it closed and heading into the classroom with her head hung low. Damn.

“Rach” Charlie came up behind her, holding a folded note out toward her with a smile “This fell out of your notebook.”

“Oh” Rachel reached for the folded piece of paper, eyeing it carefully, as if she were trying to read it before unfolding it. “Thanks. I folded it because it’s an outline of what I think will be on the pop quiz.”

“Whatever” Charlie said with a shrug and a smile as she walked in with her friend. They found their usual seats and slid in. Rachel pulled out her real notebook and set it on top of the blue one Quinn had given her before laying out a pen to take notes with. She then laid the folded note out on the desk and stared at it. What was inside? Common sense would tell her to open it but she was terrified of what it would say. Was it Quinn telling her she had made a mistake? Her hand shook as her fingers ran over the crisply folded paper wondering what wonders it held.

“Can I borrow a pencil?” Charlie asked softly and Rachel looked up, nodding quickly before she dug out a pencil and offered her friend a smile. “What was that all about with Santana, anyway? Walking you to class?”

“She had a question about chemistry” Charlie said with a shrug. She was a horrible liar and it showed on her face but Rachel didn’t call her out. She just nodded and smiled “I’m glad she is taking her studies seriously.” Charlie smiled that smile that told Rachel there was more to the story but she wasn’t going to tell her right now.

Rachel didn’t care because she had a note to read. She took a deep breath and grabbed the note. Her hands trembled a little as she pulled it open slowly. She bit at her bottom lip and as each little crease was unfolded she felt her heart skipping a beat. Finally the note was open and she smoothed the paper out under her palms before her eyes fell to the letters scribbled in Quinn’s pretty hand writing.

_ Meet in the janitor’s closet in the science hall after third period. _

Rachel read the words over and over again. She read them until they were burned into her retinas. Every time she read them her heart leaped into her throat. Her stomach knotted in anticipation and wonderment and each time she read the words she smiled wider. She was running a thousand different scenarios in her head and not a single one was convincing her that going was a bad idea. She would be there, promptly, awaiting whatever it was Quinn had wanted to meet her there for.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	8. Denial is six harsh letters

Rachel couldn’t wait for third period to end. She kept staring at the clock, watching the second ticking away slowly, and she could have sworn she saw it freeze a few times. She didn’t recall what the lesson of the day was because she had not been paying attention. Her fingers tapped against the blue notebook Quinn had handed hear earlier in the day and her eyes were locked on the clock. She only looked away to look down at the note again and re-read the words over again. She would smile each time the words echoed in her head. She wanted to meet her. Her head was swimming with the possibilities of what could happen during that meeting.

Finally the bell rang and Rachel was out of the classroom first. She never left first. She was always the one finishing her notes or staying after to ensure she had fully captured the teacher’s lesson in detail in her notes, but not today. Today she had other plans. Today she was meeting Quinn Fabray in a janitor’s closet. Okay so it didn’t sound that grand to the outside but to her it was huge. She was beaming from ear to ear as she folded her arms, tucking the notebook up against her chest, and made her way to the closet of destiny. Oh that sounded dramatic. Yes she would definitely refer to it as the closet of destiny from now on. It had flavor, spice, and sounded a lot more interesting than the janitor’s closet.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the door looming in the distance. Her smile faltered and she bit at her bottom lip. She suddenly felt nervous. What if this was a trap? What if this was all a huge trap, an elaborate scheme by Quinn Fabray to humiliate her? She paused and her stomach flipped. Was she walking into a potentially embarrassing and scarring trap?

“No” She whispered to herself and gave her head a quick shake. She drew in a deep breath, steeled her nerves, held her head high, and marched on toward the door. She had to remember how it had felt to kiss her, how intense it had been to look into her green eyes, and how she had felt completely enthralled right before their lips had met. Quinn had felt it too. They had held hands and smiled and slept side by side right after. Quinn had given her a note that morning and a soft smile and even swayed her hips back and forth as she walked away. Quinn wasn’t going to embarrass her, no, she simply wanted to see her.

Rachel stood at the door now, taking a deep breath as her eyes read over the black letters on the glass. The A had been partially torn off but the message was all the same. Janitor’s closet. She nodded her head and quickly looked around. Everyone was rushing about, going to their next classes, so no one would notice her. No one ever noticed her unless they were looking for someone to pick on. She shook the thought away and reached for the door knob. No one would notice her slipping away. So she turned until she heard a click, pulled the door open just enough to make space for her body to slide into the room, then quickly shut the door behind her.

The room was small. It was dark, too. Rachel took in a deep breath and started to slide her hand across the wall in search of a light switch. They had to have a light in there, right? “Quinn?” She called out softly, although with the size of the room it would have been obvious that Rachel had joined her if she was in there. She frowned when she realized she was alone in the room. The closet. The coffin. It felt like she was trapped and she was starting to suffocate. Why would she think Quinn would really show up? Pig’s blood was probably about to come splashing down on her head. She shook her head quickly and tried not to let herself get upset as her hand fumbled for the door knob, trying to find her way to freedom. Maybe if she got out now she could escape whatever embarrassing trauma was about to befall her. If only she could find the damn door knob.

As he fingers wrapped around it she felt it twist and before she could pull back Quinn had opened then closed the door, slid into the small gap, and came face to face with Rachel. Her back was pressed to the door and she smiled through the darkness when she realized Rachel had shown up. As their eyes both adjusted to the lower light of the room, they both found each other’s gaze. Quinn smiled softly and let out a little sigh “Hi. Sorry I’m late, coach Sue tied me up with a bunch of questions.”

“It’s fine” Rachel said quickly, shaking her head, immediately put at ease by the smile she saw in Quinn’s eyes. “I just got here myself.”

“Good” Quinn’s smile grew and her body shifted because the doorknob was in her back. She moved so she was now leaning into the wall next to the door and let out a soft laugh at how close Rachel was and how she hadn’t moved back from her. “So I see you got my note.” Well of course she did or she wouldn’t be here. That was stupid of you Quinn.

“Yeah” Rachel said with a quick nod, smiling more widely. She realized how close she was and quickly she shook her head, letting out a nervous laugh, and took a step back. “Um, here” She unfolded her arms from across her chest and pushed the notebook out toward Quinn “This is yours. I don’t really need it, I have notebooks for all my classes.”

“I know” Quinn said with a smile as she reached out for the notebook. Her fingers wrapped around the spine of it and her heart leaped when she felt her pinky slide along Rachel’s. There were the tingles again. No not tingles, sparks. It felt like tiny fireworks going off on her fingertips where she touched Rachel’s skin. A shiver slid through her body and she quickly pulled the notebook from Rachel’s grip “Thanks.”

Rachel nodded quickly and dropped her hands to her sides. She bit softly at her lower lip and drew in a deep breath as she looked down over Quinn’s form. The longer they were in the closet together the more her eyes adjusted and now she could see the small details of Quinn’s Cheerios uniform. She could see the stitching on the black letters and how they stood out against the red background. She smiled at that. Red and black were such strong colors and she was glad they were their school colors. Then she realized she was looking at Quinn’s chest and her eyes widened. She looked down to her feet quickly and hoped the room was dark enough to hide her blush that was now burning her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Quinn asked softly, reaching out to lightly slide her finger along Rachel’s cheek. She was starting to think maybe this was a bad idea because now they were just standing there awkwardly and Rachel was avoiding her eyes.

“Fine” Rachel said quickly, looking back up now and offering a smile. “Sorry, I just…” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. She let out a deflating sigh and it was obvious she was trying to find the words to describe it but was falling short.

“It’s okay” Quinn said with a reassuring nod of her head, offering her a smile when their eyes met again “You can tell me. We’re in a closet, together, and I think fourth period just started so I’m not exactly going to think what you have to say is odd. Skipping class and huddling in a closet together with you is odd so anything you can say by comparison will probably sound sane.”

“You think it’s odd to be here with me?” Rachel frowned immediately, suddenly feeling like she had been punched in the gut. There was that side of Quinn again. The side that hated being near her.

“No” Quinn said quickly, stammering to right what she had said. “I mean, yes, it would be odd before but it’s alright now. I mean, people think I hate you and I kind of make your life Hell, so being in here with you would be odd before but since, you know, this weekend it’s a little better.” She smiled again and reached her hand out to lay it against Rachel’s shoulder. “It feels right now.”

Rachel smiled at her words, nodding her head slowly. She brought up what had happened that weekend. Her stomach as twisting with joy and she felt butterflies fluttering through her body. She met Quinn’s eyes and licked at her lips again “Sorry I am just so used to you insulting me that I get defensive.”

“No” Quinn shook her head quickly “I understand. I’ve been horrible to you I don’t blame you for that. I should probably apologize for that.”

“No” Rachel said quickly, reaching her hand out now and touching against Quinn’s hip. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m not mad at you for that. I understand why you do it.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” Quinn breathed out softly. She couldn’t find more of a voice because there were tiny fireworks exploding along her hip and stomach where Rachel’s fingers were resting against her. She had to fight the shiver that wanted to dance through her from head to toe and drew in a breath to gain strength. “I’m working on it.”

“On what?” Rachel asked in a shaky whisper, her eyes wide, hanging on every word the other girl was saying.

“Not caring what people think” Quinn said with a shrug, shaking her head as her eyes shifted to the side. A frown took over her lips and she lifted her hand to her own cheek, rubbing her fingertips along her jaw line slowly “Not caring about being seen with you. Not caring if people think you are a dork and I’m the head cheerleader who shouldn’t even know you. Not caring about being popular, I don’t know.” Her eyes moved back to Rachel’s and her hand dropped in defeat, her eyes searching Rachel’s for understanding.

Rachel’s head nodded and her hand dropped away from Quinn’s hip, contact that both girls immediately craved again. Her arms folded across her chest and she shrugged her shoulders as her eyes dropped to her feet again “I get it.” She whispered softly, licking her lips because suddenly her mouth was dry “This is the part where you tell me it was a mistake, a lapse of judgment, and you didn’t mean it isn’t it?”

“No” Quinn’s brow curled into a hurt frown and she reached out to touch at Rachel’s cheek, hoping to bring her eyes back to her own “That’s not what I was going to say. I brought you here because I wanted to see you. I’ve been thinking about you all weekend, thinking about the kiss, and I just…” She smiled very slowly and shook her head as a dreamy look took over her face “I’ve never felt more alive.”

“Really?” Rachel looked up with a bit of disbelief on her face and hope in her eyes.

Quinn nodded quickly and when their eyes met both of their faces lit with a smile. Rachel stepped forward and slid her arm around Quinn’s waist, pulling her close so the girl couldn’t escape. Escape was the last thing Quinn wanted to do, though. The embrace nearly curled her toes as fireworks shot through her entire body. Her own arm reached out and wrapped slowly around Rachel’s neck. Now within inches of one another the girls paused. Quinn bit her lip and her eyes flickered down to Rachel’s lips. In that moment she was nervous. What if Rachel didn’t want to kiss her again?

“Do it” Rachel breathed out, fighting the urge to close her eyes. She could feel Quinn’s every breath against her lips and each time it felt like daggers. She was so close, painfully close, and she just wanted to close that gap. But she needed Quinn to do it. She needed to know that Quinn wanted it just as much as she did.

Before Rachel could beg for her to do it again, Quinn pressed forward and their lips ignited another kiss. It was as if the kiss in the kitchen had never ended. Immediately Quinn’s fingers gripped the back of Rachel’s head and pulled her closer. There was too much space between them. There wasn’t enough contact, she needed more. She craved more. She felt whole as each of her curves pushed into each of Rachel’s curves.

Rachel couldn’t fight the moan that came from her mouth when Quinn pulled her closer. Their bodies felt so good together, so right together, and it surprised her. How was it that there was a person that she fit so perfectly against and she had not known until this very instant?

When Rachel moaned, Quinn’s tongue instinctively slid out of her mouth and into Rachel’s. She smiled when she had the first taste of the inside of the girl’s mouth. It sent a lightning bolt of sensation through every nerve in her body and she felt herself tremble before she could stop it.

Though Rachel was surprised by Quinn’s boldness, she was not at all turned off. Without skipping a beat her own tongue slid against Quinn’s soft tongue and into her mouth. Another moan escaped as she swept the taste of a full on kiss into her senses completely. It was intoxicating. Her every sense was on over load. She could taste the girl, feel her pressed against her, hear her breathing, smell her subtle perfume, and as her eyes cracked open she could see the way Quinn looked when she was kissing her. She smiled against the kiss before her eyes fluttered closed. This girl was beautiful.

Quinn shivered again. Her heart was beating so hard she was sure Rachel could feel it against her chest. But she didn’t care, she wanted Rachel to feel what she did to her, she wanted her to know the effect she had on her body. This girl completely unraveled her and she wanted to somehow let her know. Let her know that she was the only person that had any effect on her. She could pretend not to feel anything all day but the moment Rachel walked by she broke down. It was absolutely terrifying and completely exhilarating all at the same time.

Quinn felt herself losing control. She felt the urge to laugh, to cry, to cling so tightly, and to run away all at once. She felt her hands wanting to roam about and felt the burning in her skin to be touched. Her gut twisted suddenly in confusion and panic and desire and quickly she broke away from the kiss. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and licked over it slowly before drawing in a deep breath to steady herself. She had to push the way Rachel confused her away and regain her mind. Rachel took her every sense of sanity and flipped it on its head and Quinn couldn’t handle it in large doses.

“Are you alright?” Rachel asked softly after pulling in a few deep breaths to steady herself as well. Her eyes searched Quinn’s face and for a moment she panicked because Quinn looked panicked. Did she do something wrong? “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong? Did I use too much tongue? I’ve never been kissed like that before I was just going along with what you were-“

“It’s fine” Quinn said with a soft laugh and suddenly she was at ease. Seeing the way Rachel was handling this calmed her. She was not the only confused and nervous one. This was all new to her as well.  They were sailing into uncharged territory together. “You’re fine, you did great, it was amazing actually.” She lifted her hand to her lips and touched at the tingles that remained after the kiss was broken. “I was just thinking that we’ve been in here a really long time. We’ve missed most of fourth period.”

“It’s okay” Rachel said with a nod “I always read ahead to prepare for the off chance that I’m tragically wounded and can’t attend class and the entire school mourns for my return.”

“Really?” Quinn perked an eyebrow and stared at her for a second before she let out a soft laugh and shook her head “You’re such a dork.”

Rachel frowned and looked at her feet. There were the biting insults Quinn was so great at.

“I like it” Quinn added quickly, reaching out to tuck her fingers under Rachel’s chin and lift her eyes to her own. She smiled when she saw the brown eyes staring back at her hopefully “I think it’s cute.”

“You do?” Rachel smiled slowly, blushing very softly, as a soft laugh escaped her lip. When Quinn nodded, Rachel just shrugged “Well I have always maintain that someone out there would find my quirks attractive.”

“I do” Quinn said with a smile “Like really attractive. It’s almost like I can’t think about it because it scares me.”

“Me too” Rachel said with a quick, understanding nod “That’s what I was trying to say earlier. That I can’t stop finding you attractive but I don’t really know how to address it because it’s usually awkward to admit one’s attraction to a potential mate because of the fear of rejection.”

“Mate?” Quinn arched an eyebrow and a slow smirk came over her lips.

Rachel blushed a bright red and shook her head quickly, stammering as she spoke now “I didn’t mean us mate. I meant it in a generalized term as in the person you might want to get to know physically as well as emotionally. But that doesn’t mean maybe one day we might not mate. Not that I think about mating with you. Although I must admit I have before but only once right after we kissed. I couldn’t help it, the thought just formulated in my mind and couldn’t be control-“

Rachel was cut off by a firm kiss from Quinn. Her lips sealed off the rest of whatever Rachel could say in the ramble she had been going off on. Her words were replaced by a surprised moan before she returned the kiss. It was short, just long enough to stop her and put her at ease, before Quinn pulled back and smiled at her “I wasn’t offended I just thought it was funny you said mate.”

Rachel nodded quickly and licked at her lips as the blush rose on her cheeks again. She stared at Quinn shyly before she shook her head and rolled her eyes “Are you going to shut me up like that all the time now?”

“Maybe” Quinn said with a shrug, turning now to reach for the door knob. She peeked her head out as she cracked open the door. When she saw the hallways were empty, she nodded and turned back to Rachel with a smile. “Class should be about over. We should slip out now so no one notices.”

Rachel nodded quickly in agreement and waited until Quinn had decided it was clear before the girls quickly slid out and back into reality. Just as the door closed behind them, the bell rang, and the halls were filled with students again. Quinn looked back at Rachel and they shared a knowing smile before Quinn started down the hallway.

“Wait” Rachel said softly, reaching out and stopping her from getting too far. When Quinn looked at her curiously, Rachel licked her lips and took a deep breath before smiling softly “See you at lunch?”

“I’ll see you” Quinn said with a smile and a quick nod “I’ll save you a seat.” She gave a quick wave of her fingers before turning and heading down the hallway again. Rachel took a deep breath and let it out slowly as a smile filled her features. She was going to get to sit with Quinn at lunch. She had to be dreaming because this was too good to be true.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The sun was bright and the football field was buzzing with students as they spread out across it to enjoy their lunch. Dana squinted in the sun as she lifted a cigarette to her mouth and pulled a long drag from it. She let a puff of smoke out slowly as her head turned and her eyes focused on the approaching person. She gave a soft smile then kicked back on the bleachers, propping her elbow on the bench behind her as she watched Santana move to sit next to her. She licked slowly at her lips then turned her hand, holding the butt of the cigarette between her fingers, offering it out to her friend.

“No thanks” Santana shook her head as she settled down on the bench were Dana propped her elbows. She put her feet on the bench below where Dana sat and gave her a smile “What’s up?”

“No?” She looked at the cigarette then shrugged, flicking it off to the distance before she looked at her friend with a glance.

“No” Santana repeated with a soft smile “Charlie doesn’t like smokers.”

Dana let out a laugh, using her now empty hand to reach over and playfully slap Santana on the thigh “You are so whipped already.”

“I am not whipped” She shoved Dana’s shoulder and let out a laugh “I am just trying to, you know, make a real effort with her. Besides, Nationals for cheer are coming up and I gotta quit so I don’t die during the performance from Hell that Sue is sure to put together. You know how much she loves to win.”

“No shit. It’s all you, Q, and Britt bitch about when she’s kicking your ass at practice.” Dana shrugged her shoulders and looked at her friend again. She eyed her a moment before looking back over the football field, rolling her eyes at the couples making out on the fifty yard line.

They sat in a comfortable silence together for a moment, watching their fellow students below before Santana looked at Dana and shrugged “So what did you want to talk to me about? It is lunch time and they are serving tacos.”

Dana let out a laugh before she sat up now. She folded her hands together, her elbows on her legs, letting her hands dangle. She stared at her dark nail polish for a moment before she turned her head to look over her shoulder at her friend who sat on the level above her. “So you really like Charlie?”

“Yeah” Santana perked an eyebrow at her friend “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? Is this one of those protective sister things where you tell me if I hurt her you’ll kick my ass? Because that’s sweet” She had a mocking tone, smirking at her friend before she got a little more serious “But unnecessary. I’m really going to try not to hurt her. She’s cool, you know? Doesn’t put up with my shit which I think really turns me on.”

“Woah, okay, too much info there San” Dana lifted her hand to stop her friend and shook her head. She made a disgusted face before laughing it off and looking back at her “No, I wasn’t going to say that. I mean, yeah, if you hurt my sister I will kick your ass but you already know that.”

“So what?” Santana shrugged, leaning forward on her knees now, bringing herself a bit closer to where Dana sat below her. 

Dana shrugged and turned forward to look over the football field again. She didn’t give a fuck about what anyone thought. She loved to start a riot, loved to upset people and cause an uproar, and loved when people got pissed at her for her antics. But Santana was her best friend, her only friend really, and she most definitely didn’t want to hurt her. She looked back down at her hands for a moment, watching her fingers tap nervously against her knuckles, and gave her head a shake. “Look, I’m alright with you and Charlie. I think it’s cool. She’s a good kid and I think she will put you in your place.” She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at her friend before looking back down again. She took a deep breath and let it out with a laugh “Shit this is harder than I thought it would be.”

“Dude, what the Hell?” Santana let out a laugh, but it wasn’t a mocking one, it held more of a nervous concern for her friend. She pushed off the bench and slid forward, sitting down now next to Dana, giving her a nudge with her elbow “It’s just me. I’ve known you since middle school. We haven’t always been close but you were there for me through some really tough shit this summer so, you know, I’m here for you now. That’s what friends are for.”

“I know” Dana let out a heavy sigh and pushed her hand through her messy pink hair. She clapped her hands together and turned her head to look at her friend. Their eyes met and she got nervous again. She didn’t want to say it “You know what, forget about it. It’s not a big deal I will just figure it out.”

Santana blinked quickly in confusion as Dana stood up suddenly to leave. She shook her head and quickly reached out to grab Dana’s wrist, giving it a tug to stop her in her tracks “What the Hell? Come on, man, something is going on and you need to talk so sit your punk ass down and talk to me.”

Dana looked at Santana and saw the genuine concern in her eyes and she knew immediately why Rachel cared so much. Santana, for as big of a bitch as she could be, had a genuine heart. Rachel had always tried to see the best in people and damn it if she hadn’t made Dana realize it in Santana right in that moment. She sighed and dropped down next to her friend with a heavy thunk, putting a hand to her face and pushing her fingers into her eyes. She had such a headache.

“Dude are you knocked up?” Santana looked at her friend in shock, searching her for answers in that moment.

“What? Gross” Dana looked at her friend and shoved her away with a shake of her head “That’s disgusting. Quinn is probably more likely to get knocked up before me.” She let out a disgusted laugh and reached for her cigarettes, pulling another out of the pack, and putting it between her lips to light.

“At least she’s a virgin. You’ve slutted around enough that it’s an option” Santana gave a teasing laugh, shoving her friend back. They shared a glance after Dana lit her cigarette then the two of them laughed.

“You’re the slut, not me.” Dana mumbled, the cigarette held between her lips bouncing with each word she spoke.

“So true” Santana said with a dreamy sigh, a smirk on her lips “People just wants some of this spice.”

“Shit” Dana rolled her eyes and pulled the cigarette from her lips, flicking the ash away before looking at her friend “How did you get so humble?”

“Born this way” Santana said with a shrug, lifting a hand to fluff the end of her pony tail before looking at Dana with a laugh. “Now come on what’s going on with you? If I miss taco day I’m going to slash you with a razor blade.”

Dana smiled at that then licked her lips before looking back over the football field. She put the cigarette back between her lips, took a long drag from it, and then removed it to blow out the smoke. She watched the line of smoke rise into the sky before slowly her eyes turned to look at Santana. She cleared her throat and nodded “We’re friends, right?”

“Unless you make me miss tacos” Santana said but nodded “Yeah, man, come on.”

Dana nodded again and took another drag from her cigarette before dropping her hand to the side and ashing near her foot. “I would never want to do anything that’s gonna piss you off and more importantly hurt your feelings, alright? You gotta know that because I might be fucked up but I’m not the kind of person to fuck with the people I care about just to get ahead, you know?”

Santana nodded slowly, eyeing her friend curiously, but not speaking. She was afraid to distract her again before she got out whatever she needed to say.

Dana saw the way Santana was paying attention to her and it made her even more nervous. This girl really cared about her and now she was about to go and put a dagger in her heart? That was pretty fucked up. She shook her head again and tossed her cigarette to the side before pushing her fingers through her hair again. “I know you and Britt went through some shit this summer. What happened was really tough and you both got hurt, I know that man. I don’t want you ever having to go through that again but, I don’t know, I have to be honest with you. I like Brittany. I mean, shit, apparently it’s obvious because Rachel fucking Berry pointed it out to me how bad I got it for her.”

Santana just nodded again, her face falling a bit, but she fought really reacting. She already knew this, after all. 

When Santana didn’t respond Dana sighed heavily “Shit, you already knew didn’t you?”

“Yeah” Santana said with a shake of her head “I’ve seen the way you look at her. It’s the way I used to look at her.”

“Sorry” Dana shrugged then looked at her hands again. “Look, I know it’s like a rule or some shit about dating your best friend’s ex or whatever but I thought that with you digging on Charlie now that you had moved on and maybe if she and I, you know, explored this that it would be alright with you.”

“Oh” Santana said with a nod, looking away from Dana now, and biting her lip “So this isn’t about me dating Charlie but you dating Brittany?”

“We’re not dating” Dana said quickly “I wouldn’t do that to you. I wanted to talk to you, you know, so you wouldn’t be surprised if something did happen. Wait, you’re dating Charlie?” She tilted her head to the side and perked an eyebrow “Since when?”

“We aren’t” Santana shook her head and waved her hand to the side “We are going on a date but, wait, this isn’t about me and Charlie. This is about you and Brittany.”

“Right” Dana shook her head “Sorry. Look, I like her, San. I don’t gotta tell you how great she is or how cool she is. I’ve never liked someone the way I like her. Usually I just want a good make out and grope session then send them on their way but with her it’s different. I wanna see her smile and make her laugh and do lame shit like hold her hand.”

“Okay” Santana lifted her hand to stop her friend again. She stared at her for a long time before she shook her head and put her hand down. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly “You’re right, she’s awesome. But, you know, we didn’t work out and it hurt but, you know, maybe if she can move on and I can move on we can get back to being friends because I really miss her as a friend more than anything, you know?” She caught Dana’s eyes and offered a sideways smile. “I appreciate you coming to me and if it was anyone else but you I would punch them in the gut and tell them to shove off but that ain’t right. Brittany isn’t mine anymore and I shouldn’t stop her from being happy and if you can make her happy then why should I stop it?” She looked over her friend and laughed “Although you totally don’t have the tits I do so I don’t know how she could be happy.”

“Fuck off” Dana said with a laugh, shoving Santana’s shoulder and shaking her head “Don’t be a bitch.”

Santana let out a laugh “I’m always a bitch.”

“No shit” Dana gave her friend a smile then took in a deep breath. She eyed her friend for a moment before she nodded her head a little “So we’re cool?”

“Yeah” Santana nodded, taking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly “I knew this day would come. I’m glad it’s you and now some skanky jock or something. It’s for the best, you know? I gotta let her move on.”

“And who better than me you sexy best friend?” Dana said with a wide grin, laughing softly.

Santana reached out and slapped Dana in the shoulder and shook her head “Skanky is probably a better word.” She rolled her eyes and offered her friend a smile “I know you’ll take care of her.”

“I will” Dana said in a serious tone, her face devoid of anything resembling a smile. Her stare was serious and she locked her eyes with Santana to show her just as much. “I’ll treat her like a princess.”

Santana nodded her head at that before she stood up. She gave Dana a slap on the shoulder then nodded and motioned for her to stand “Come on, let’s go get some tacos.”

Dana let out a relieved sigh and got to her feet. She jumped down the last few benches of the bleachers before jumping over the rail in the front and landing on the track just below. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of the jeans she had worn that day and walked along with Santana toward the cafeteria. After a moment she looked at her friend and punched her in the arm “If you hurt my sister I’ll kick your ass.”

“Shit” Santana groaned, rubbing at her shoulder where she had been punched. She rolled her eyes and shook her head “You hurt my ex and I’ll kick your ass.”

“Figured” Dana said with a smile before slinging her heavy arm across Santana’s shoulders as they walked inside. The cafeteria was full of hungry kids chatting and eating and Dana looked around until she found what she was looking for. She moved her arm off her shoulders and gave her a nudge “Have fun with your tacos” She gave her a wave then headed inside right toward the Cheerios lunch table.  She smiled when she walked up and saw an empty spot next to Brittany which she promptly sat in, disrupting the quiet conversation everyone had been having. “Sup?”

“Hi Dana” Rachel, who was sitting right next to Quinn, greeted the girl with a smile.

When Dana realized Rachel was sitting at the Cheerios table between Quinn and Charlie, she arched an eyebrow and looked at Quinn. “Well hello Rachel Berry. What are you doing at the Cheerios table?”

“She was invited” Brittany said with a smile, looking at Dana and getting a little shy smirk on her lips “Quinn invited she and Charlie to join us today.”

Dana was caught up in Brittany’s smile for a second, putting a goofy grin on her own lips, before she looked away and up to her sister “Charlie and Rachel, huh? What’s the special occasion?”

“Nothing” Quinn growled at her sister, rolling her eyes “I thought it would be nice to have them join us. Brittany and Rachel have formed quite a friendship and with Santana and Charlie studying together-“

“What about me?” Santana asked as she walked up with a tray full of tacos. She looked at Quinn expectantly before she noticed Charlie. She smiled at the girl then patted the cheerleader she had been sitting next to, motioning for her to move down the bench so she could sit next to Charlie.

“Q here was just explaining how we are all coming together like a little happy family.” Dana grinned, amused that Quinn had invited the losers to join them for lunch. She was surprised and curious as to her motives on that one.

“Who?” Santana asked, lifting a brow curiously. She leaned forward and noticed Rachel and let out a laugh “Oh, hey Berry. Wow, what a mix we have today. I thought this was the Cheerios table.”

“Be nice” Quinn growled at Santana, narrowing her eyes.

“I’m leaving” Charlie said with a shake of her head. “I don’t need to be treated like a freak like this.”

“Don’t” Rachel put a hand on Charlie’s hand, Santana put a hand on Charlie’s hip, and both girls tugged. Rachel pouted and shook her head, her eyes silently pleading her friend to stay but it was Santana’s apology that made her sit back down “I was kidding, Charlie. Stay. I’m glad you joined us.” Her sweet smile made Charlie smile. Damn that charismatic Santana Lopez.

Rachel smiled at that. Her friend already had a soft spot for Santana. She found that completely adorable. She nodded in approval then looked to Quinn “Thank you, Quinn, for letting us join you and your cheerleaders at lunch today. It’s nice not to have to sit by the trash cans.”

“No problem” Quinn whispered, her smile soft, her gaze gentle as she stared at Rachel.

Dana perked an eyebrow at her sister but didn’t say anything. Not yet. She smirked in amusement and slid her arm around Brittany gently, leaning into her, and giving her a smile. Brittany returned the smile and let her body lean into Dana’s completely.

Rachel arched an eyebrow when she met Dana’s gaze. She couldn’t believe she would do this, in public, in front of Santana! She promised she would stop until she spoke to Santana. Oh the nerve. But Dana gave a single nod of her head toward Rachel then her gaze shifted to Santana then back to Rachel with a smile and it clicked. They had talked. Wow, Dana had listened to her. Maybe she was more persuasive than she thought!

The rest of lunch was peaceful. Dana and Brittany were beyond adorable. It was good to see them both smiling and even better to see Santana not pouting. She and Charlie talked for most of the meal, keeping quiet for the most part, so they wouldn’t be overheard but Rachel heard the word date more than once. Rachel smiled at that. They must be planning their date. Then there was Quinn. She kept her hands to herself and didn’t talk to Rachel too much, but she did steal little glances out of the corner of her eyes and gave little smiles when no one was looking. It wasn’t anything huge but to Rachel it was leaps and bounds. Quinn Fabray was acknowledging her in public. They were practically married! Okay, not really, but it made her heart swim with hope. Maybe one day they can be giggling in public with each other like Brittany and Dana were.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Quinn noticed the whispers as she walked out of the last class of the day. She looked over her shoulder and noticed people pointing at her and watching her. She frowned a little bit and tried to shake it off. People looked at her all the time, she was the head cheerleader and one of the hottest girls in school, it was normal. She shrugged and kept her head down, trying to ignore everyone. Maybe she was just imagining it. She reached her locker and opened it, switching out the books she needed for homework when Brittany leaned against the locker next to her and eyed her carefully. 

“Is it true?” Brittany asked softly when Quinn didn’t look up or acknowledge her.

“What are you talking about?” Quinn asked with a shake of her head, looking up finally. 

“You and Rachel?” Brittany whispered softly, biting at her lip and watching her friend’s face. She was careful when she added the next words, not wanting to upset her friend “Sneaking out of the janitor’s closet together?”

“Wh-what?” Quinn dropped the book she had in her hand and it fell on her toe. She hardly felt it though as her face dropped and she stared at Brittany in horror “What are you talking about?”

“Someone is spreading a rumor that she saw you and Rachel coming out of the Janitor’s closet after fourth period. People started asking around and you both missed that class today.” Brittany shrugged and leaned down to take the book off the floor and lifted to hand it over her friend “Why did you miss fourth period today?”

“Sue” Quinn shook her head, blinking, still looking numb as she took the book from her “She had me doing things for her for today’s practice.”

“Oh” Brittany nodded, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear and giving a smile “Well that makes sense. I didn’t know why you would be hanging out in the closet with Rachel.” She pushed off the locker and reached out to take Quinn’s arm in hers “Besides, it’s not like you have to sneak away to talk to Rachel or anything. You two are friends now right?”

“Yeah” Quinn said softly, her mind still swirling with panic. “We’re friends. Maybe someone who hates me saw us talking and decided to start a rumor to knock me back a peg.”

“Why would that knock you back a peg?” Brittany asked with an innocent shrug as the girls headed for the cheerleader’s locker room.

“Because she’s a loser and I’m the head cheerleader” Quinn said with a frustrated shrug “A rumor that something suspicious went down in a closet would give people grounds to mock me for life. I’d be an outcast.”

“Rachel isn’t a loser. That isn’t a nice thing to say about your friend.” Brittany stopped outside the locker room door and folded her arms as she stared at her friend with a shake of her head. “And even if you were in the closet with Rachel, metaphorically or literally, your real friends wouldn’t care. If we don’t care maybe you shouldn’t care.” She pushed the door open and glanced over her shoulder. She shook her head in disappointment before shrugging at her friend “Anyone who doesn’t like you for who you are and judges you for who you hang out with isn’t a real friend and doesn’t matter in the long run. Just remember that.” She turned and pushed her way into the locker room. She had never been disappointed in Quinn before but right now she could hardly look at her.

Quinn’s heart was twisting in her chest. She was breathing heavily and she felt like she was going to have a panic attack. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry, and glanced up just in time to see a few more people staring at her and whispering. She shook her head and turned to go into the locker room.  This can’t be happening. How could this be happening? People were talking about her, whispering behind her back, spreading a rumor about her. She had to stop this. She had to make sure this went away. She couldn’t have people laughing behind her back. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	9. One step at a time

Quinn didn’t even acknowledge Rachel after Cheerios practice when they all gathered at the SUV to go home. She didn’t say goodbye when she dropped Rachel off at her house. She didn’t look away from the street as she drove through the neighborhoods. No one seemed to notice because Brittany and Dana were too enthralled with one another, Charlie was reading, and Santana was staring at Charlie the entire time. Rachel had spent the entire ride trying to make eye contact with her. She stared at the mirrors and silently willed Quinn to look at her, but it never happened. So when she slipped from the vehicle with only a mumbled goodbye from Charlie she sulked to her house and up to her room. She had no idea what had changed but she felt worse than ever. Quinn was acting like she didn’t even exist.

It didn’t get any better the next day. When Charlie honked for Rachel in the morning, she had been hopeful that Quinn had just had a bad day at practice and was ready to steal glances with her again, but when she got into the Fabray SUV she immediately noticed the absence of the head cheerleader.

“Where’s Quinn?” Rachel asked as casually as she could as she buckled up.

“She left earlier with someone, said she had something to do at school. I figured it had something to do with Cheerios.”  Charlie shrugged, making sure Rachel was settled before she headed away from the house and down toward their next stop.

Rachel just nodded. That made sense. Their competition was coming up and she was probably dedicating herself to getting the routine down. She smiled at that thought. She liked determined and focused Quinn. It reminded her of her own drive to be the very best at everything she did. It was to be admired. The thought was short lived, though, when Charlie stopped at Brittany’s and the blonde happily skipped over and climbed in with a cheerful smile.

“Hi guys!” She smiled as she dropped into her seat next to Dana and gave her a soft giggle “Hi Dana.”

“Hey” Dana smirked, reaching her hand out and sliding her fingers through the loose bangs of the cheerleader. “You smell great this morning.”

“It’s cherry mango! My mom got it for me.” She lifted her wrist and let Dana take a closer smell as Charlie started toward their last stop.

“Brittany, have you heard from Quinn? Charlie said she had something to do for Cheerios this morning, I thought you would be there too?” Rachel bit her lip, trying to sound as casual and uncurious as she could.

Brittany just shook her head as her fingers slid through Dana’s giving her hand a squeeze “No, Sue doesn’t do morning practices. That’s when she gives herself a hot coffee enema. I’m not sure what it is but she said it helps keep her young so it must be important.”

“Oh” Rachel nodded and turned back around in her seat in the front, glancing at Charlie before looking at her hands.

“Maybe she is studying for her AP classes” Charlie said with a shrug “Why do you even care?”

“I was just curious” Rachel mumbled, not looking up from her hands in her lap “It’s weird to not have her here that’s all.”

Charlie shrugged and stopped in front of Santana’s house. She smiled when she saw the girl stumble out of her door and down her front steps. She hated mornings and it showed but for some reason Charlie found it endearing.

“Sup bitches” Santana mumbled through a yawn as she climbed in and plopped down on the empty row of seats in the back. She buckled up and looked around, perking an eyebrow “Where’s Q?”

“See” Rachel motioned to Charlie then pointed over her shoulder toward Santana “Not the only one who cares.”

“Oh, no, I don’t care I just noticed the air was thinner and lacking some bitch molecules” Santana said with a soft smirk, laughing lightly before her eyes lifted and she caught Charlie’s gaze in the mirror.  She saw her shaking her head, but she also saw her smiling, and let out a laugh “You know it’s true, Chuck.”

“Don’t call me that” Charlie mumbled, still smiling, before putting the vehicle in drive and heading toward school. 

The rest of the ride was silent for the most part. There was music softly playing, Dana and Brittany whispering together, and the sound of the road humming by. Rachel’s mind, however, was buzzing. She couldn’t stop thinking about Quinn. Where was she? Was she still in a bad mood? Was it something that she had said that had upset her? She sighed softly as the wheels in her mind turned. When they finally turned into the parking lot at school she was able to perk up. Maybe she could find Quinn before classes started to steal a smile and let their hands brush passed each other. She smiled at the thought. Maybe, just maybe.

Rachel could hardly contain her excitement as she slid from the passenger side seat and slung her bag over her shoulder. “Let’s go get our books” Rachel said with a nod to Charlie with a smile on her lips.

“I’ll catch up” Charlie said with a nod before looking at Santana with a soft smile. The girls huddled together as Charlie flipped open to a page in one of her notebooks and the girls looked over notes for chemistry as they slowly made their way inside.

Rachel just rolled her eyes with a huff and started into the main hallway of the school. Quinn’s locker was at the end of the same hall as her own so maybe she could catch her before the first class started, assuming she hadn’t already grabbed her books. Hmm, it was a risk she was willing to take.

On her way inside, Rachel passed the Cheerios locker room and glanced toward the door. It didn’t seem like anyone was inside because the light was off. Hmmm. Maybe the library. Charlie had said that maybe she was studying for her AP classes. So she turned early and headed toward the library on her detoured route to her locker. She paused at the entrance and looked inside. It was still early so there wasn’t anyone really in there. She frowned and shook her head before heading down the hall again. She passed by the administrators offices thinking maybe Quinn had been getting private tutoring. When she didn’t see the blonde through the windows of the offices she pouted and decided to give up. She rounded another corner and headed back toward the hallway where her locker was.

She had given up hope and was putting in her combination when she started to hear whispers. Rachel figured they were making fun of her skirt, again, so she ignored them. It wasn’t until she heard Quinn’s name in the whispers that she took interest. She turned her head and saw the crowd looking toward the end of the hallway. Slowly Rachel turned her eyes that way, her heart beating wildly, hoping to finally see Quinn for the first time that day.

Then in a heartbeat she went numb. She felt her heart stop, shatter, and fall to pieces on the floor. Coming right down the hallway was Quinn, in all her glory, head held high, Cheerios skirt swaying, and blonde hair pulled back tightly in a ponytail. She had her head bitch smirk on and barely cast her eyes to the side as if she hardly realized other people existed. She was as breath taking as ever.

Her left arm was latched through the elbow of a tall and admittedly handsome jock. He had a dopey look on his lips like he knew what a lucky bastard he was. On his arm was none other than the one and only Quinn Fabray. The prettiest girl in school, the most popular girl in school, and he was the one on her arm. They were, as every cliché tells, a power couple in all its glory.

“Finn and Quinn?” Rachel heard someone whisper and she realized who that was. The captain of the football team. She wanted to puke because not only was that so horribly cliché but her heart was trying to jump out of her throat to be trampled on by her very feet as they approached. 

All she could do was stare in horror as the blonde passed with her hand wrapped around Finn’s arm. Her eyes didn’t shift, she didn’t even look at Rachel, she just walked by her as if she was invisible. In that moment, Rachel never felt more meaningless in her life. She immediately felt tears forming in her eyes and she had to slam her locker and run to the closest bathroom to avoid anyone seeing her cry. How would she explain spontaneously bursting into tears? She would be known as a bigger freak.

She faintly thought she heard the bell ringing as she burst into the bathroom and into the last stall in the corner. She shut the door with a frustrated slam and immediately broke down. Her books fell from her arms as her hands cupped at her face while the tears streamed from her eyes. She tried to breathe but didn’t feel that was possible. There was a burning in her chest and she was sure that was what heart break felt like. She had been betrayed. She wasn’t even sure what she and Quinn were, or had been, or might have been and now it was all gone and she was alone and broken. Why?

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed in that stall crying. Even after all the tears her body could produce were gone she continued to tremble and shake where she was now huddled on the floor between the toilet and the door of the stall. She didn’t care if she got a disease from the disgusting tiles on the floor. At this point she just wanted to die. Her heart hurt, her body ached, and she wanted to just stop existing. This was the worst day of her life.

She was suddenly broken out of her silent wish to die when she heard the bathroom door slam open. She drew in a quick breath, steeled her hands to the walls, and hoisted herself to her feet. She drew in a deep breath and wiped at her nose as she leaned forward to peek out of the cracks of the stall to see who had come in. The last thing she wanted to do was get caught crying, again. People seemed to latch onto that and try and make it worse. Last time she had been found crying she had been slushied between each class for the next week. Her face was numb for a month.

She drew in another deep breath to calm her tears and blinked a few tears from her eyes as she tried to focus on who had walked in. Then she saw a familiar face and was suddenly at ease. There was no way she would be slushied for crying now. So she filled her lungs with a deep breath, scooped up her books, wiped her eyes, and stepped out of the stall a few moments later.

“You know smoking at school can get you suspended?” Rachel asked softly, clearing her throat, as she set her books on the sink and looked up.

“Shit” Dana jumped and turned around from where she was standing on the sink, her hand held out the window near the top of the bathroom for ventilation. “What the Hell are you doing in here, Berry? Why aren’t you in class?”

“I, uh” Rachel cleared her throat and dropped her eyes. She turned on the water and started washing her hand “I don’t feel so well today.”

“I always knew that new age vegan shit would kill you.” Dana said with a smirk, taking a drag from her cigarette, and blowing the smoke out of the window.

“It was not my breakfast” Rachel bit out as she tore two paper towels off to wipe her hands dry.

“Then is it your skirt?” Dana smirked, eyeing the girl with a laugh.

“No” Rachel growled, throwing the paper towels away with a stomp before storming back to grab her notebooks and lift them from the sink “I have no idea why I thought I could come out of the stall with you around. I thought I would at least get a little sympathy.”

“You thought wrong” Dana said with a shrug, flicking her cigarette out the window before shutting it and hopping off the sink with a loud thud as her boots hit the floor.

“Whatever” Rachel mumbled, dropping her head because she felt tears starting to form again. “If you could excuse me I need to get to class.” Her voice trembled but she tried to ignore it and push past Dana.

“Wait” Dana reached out and put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. She eyed the girl and noticed her reluctance to look up at her and suddenly felt a pang in her chest. Damn her for making her care about her. She let out a sigh and stepped between her and the door “What’s up, Berry? Spill it.”

“I’m fine” Rachel stepped back from Dana and turned her head to the side, lifting her hand to wipe a tear from her eye “If you would please move I need to go to class and explain my tardiness.”

“Why are you crying?” Dana folded her arms and gave her a curious stare down that looked much like Quinn’s.

“I don’t feel good, I told you, or has the pink hair dye seeped in so deeply it has coated your ear drums?” It was harsh, a bite in her tone, and frustration in her eyes as she finally looked at the girl to reveal her bloodshot eyes that were swollen with unshed tears.

Dana immediately felt bad, which didn’t happen often. For some reason she actually cared right now. Maybe Brittany was making her soft or maybe she kind of liked Rachel as a friend. It was because of her that she and Brittany were doing so well after all. “Alright I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that about my hair and ask you again what’s wrong. Don’t lie to me because I am bigger than you and will throw you around until you answer me.”

Rachel shook her head and wiped at her eyes again. How could she even begin to tell her what was wrong? She could just lie, she was a very convincing liar, it was part of her acting after all. After a moment she sighed and rolled her eyes as she looked at Dana and shrugged her shoulders “I miss Charlie. She has been paying so much attention to Santana lately that I feel like I am losing her.”

Dana eyed the girl up and down slowly. She saw the way her eyes shifted back and forth and the general deflated posture of her frame and she decided to push her. She gave a shake of her head and kicked back on the sink now, her legs folded in front of her at the ankles “Bull. You wouldn’t be this upset with Charlie. You would totally talk to her first about it anyway.”

Damn it, how did Dana know her so well? She had only known her for just over a year! She must have been paying more attention than she would ever admit. Rachel made a note to talk to her about that later. She just shrugged and folded her arms. She stared at Dana for a moment before looking away and wiping at her eyes again even though her tears had started to dry.

Dana perked an eyebrow at the girl who stood there in silence. She let out a huff and shook her head “Well shit, it must be something heavy if you can’t talk to me about it. This is the first time I’ve seen you so silent.” She pushed off the sink and went over to the girl, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze “Look, if I were you I’d stay in here and skip class. Think about what’s going on and how you’re going to manage to open up to someone because obviously it’s something you need help figuring out and if you can’t ask for help no one is gonna help you. So just, yeah” She shrugged and patted her back “I know you don’t trust a lot of people but I’m sure at least someone will try and help when you’re ready.”

Dana turned to leave, shaking her head on her way to the door. Rachel looked up and in a panic, before she could stop herself, she blurted out the words that made the pain even more real “Quinn and I kissed.”

Dana stopped dead in her tracks, paused for a moment, before slowly rotating on the heel of her boots until she was facing Rachel. Her eyebrow was arched curiously on her forehead and as she watched the way Rachel’s gaze searched Dana for some sort of acknowledgement she realized it was true. She let out a laugh and shook her head “I knew there was something going on with her.”

“And me!” Rachel pointed to herself, tears starting to flow again “What about me?”

“I just meant she was acting funny, that’s all.” Dana rolled her eyes and motioned for Rachel to come closer, patting the sink next to her. When Rachel moved and leaned into the sink, Dana slid an arm around her and pulled her closer “Look, do you like her Berry?”

“I’m bawling my eyes out in a bathroom and talking to you” Rachel mumbled as she wiped her fingers across her cheek. 

“Hey, to be fair, you cry in the bathroom a lot. And there is nothing wrong with me” Dana shook her head, but didn’t pull away. She knew it was a defense mechanism so she over looked it for now.

Rachel shrugged a little bit, her chin dropping to stare at her feet. She drew in a deep breath and shook her head slowly before her shoulders gave a defeated shrug. “I thought she liked me too. I mean, we kissed and it was good and then yesterday we met in the janitor’s closet and ended up kissing again and talking and, I don’t know, it felt good.”

“So many jokes” Dana breathed out with a shake of her head and a soft laugh.

“The irony of being in a closet did not escape me” Rachel said with a roll of her eyes before wiping another tear. They were starting to dry again which was good because she wasn’t sure she had many more in her anyway.

“So what’s the big deal?” Dana asked with a shrug “Why you in here in tears over a few kisses?”

Rachel gave a frustrated huff and looked up at Dana with a look of disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Did you not see her in the hallway this morning?”

Dana let out an amused breath of a laugh and shook her head “Um, no. Britt and I were making out in the SUV after you guys left. What happened?”

Rachel rolled her eyes but had to smile a little. They were a happy couple or at least a hormonal one that couldn’t get enough of each other. That must be nice. She took a deep breath so she wouldn’t cry again and shrugged “She was parading down the hall for everyone to see with Finn Hudson on her arm.”

“That oaf?” Dana groaned and put a hand over her eyes. She shook her head and pushed her fingers over her eyelids before dropping her hand and letting out a sigh “She wouldn’t give that fool the time of day not just a month ago. One thing I was actually proud of her for. That guy is a fricken idiot.”

Rachel just shrugged. She didn’t know a lot about him, really. She thought he was cute enough, but he was a jock and she was not so they had no real reason to interact. “Apparently she decided it was his time.”

Dana shook her head a little bit and pushed off away from the sink. She ran a hand over her lips then dropped the hand to tuck it into the pocket of her skirt she had on that day “Look, don’t get down about this, alright? Quinn is….” She shrugged a little and pulled the chapstick out of her pocket, uncapped it, and applied a layer. “Quinn. I know it sucks but there is probably something behind it.” She pushed the tube back into her pocket then nodded “Let me talk to her.”

“No” Rachel said with a quick shake of her head, her eyes filling with terror at the thought of it “She would kill me if she knew I told you.”

“I know” Dana shrugged and gave her a smile “And I think that is exactly what she needs.”

“What do you mean?” Rachel asked, stepping forward, and shaking her head “Please don’t do something that will make her mad. Whatever I’ve done I don’t want to make it worse. I can’t lose her before I figure out what exactly we have.”

“Trust me” Dana gave Rachel a quick pat on her shoulder “If anyone knows how to handle Quinn, it’s me.” She smirked a bit, a mischievous look rising on her features.

“Please, Dana, don’t do anything outrageous.” Rachel bit her lip and shook her head “I think she’s scared. Please don’t push her away from me more than she already has herself.”

“Rachel” Dana put a hand over her heart and shook her head “I owe you. You helped me with the whole Santana and Brittany thing. I got this.”

Rachel opened her mouth to say something but Dana lifted her hand to shush her. The girl gave Rachel a wink then backed up to the door. She eyed her carefully before nodding and turning to leave. Rachel heard a laugh escape her lips as the door swung closed. As soon as she was alone again, she let out a heavy groan and fell against the wall. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the cool tile of the wall “Dana, please, don’t make her hate me.” 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Dana’s hands slapped down on the top of Finn’s shoulders. She curled her fingers into the fabric of the letterman jacket he wore and gave a firm tug, pulling him right up off the bench and to his feet. “Hi” she said with a roll of her eyes as he stumbled backwards and looked like a shocked rag doll as he tried to catch his balance.

“What the heck?” He mumbled as she shrugged his shoulders, smoothing out his jacket with a frown.

“Bye” Dana pushed his chest then gave him a little wave. When Finn didn’t move, she raised both eyebrows and shooed him away with both hands. “I said goodbye.”

Finn’s brow creased and he huffed before shaking his head and turning to leave. Dana smiled at that then plunked down on the bench where Finn had been sitting next to Quinn. “Heya sis.”

“What are you doing? That was really rude.” Quinn growled as she set down her fork and looked at her sister with a glare that could ignite ice to flames.

“Oh please, he’s been in the picture five minutes.  I’ve been in the picture your entire life. He will live. I need to talk to you.” She glanced to her right and smiled when she saw Brittany “Hey Britt.”

“Hi” She smiled shyly as she lifted her spoon to her mouth, eating the bite of pudding she had just scooped up.

Dana took a moment to let her eyes linger on Brittany before she looked at Quinn again with a smile “So anyway, what’s the deal?”

“What do you mean?” Quinn mumbled, having picked up her fork again and was swirling it in her spaghetti. It was lunch time in McKinley and any hope for a peaceful lunch was gone now.

“The big idiot” Dana motioned over her shoulder with a thumb in the direction where Finn had disappeared. “Now call me crazy but I could have sworn just last week you were swearing you would never date someone dumber than the cotton swabs you use to clean your ears with.”

“That’s rude. Finn is a nice guy and I would never say that.” Quinn rolled her eyes a little bit and bit her lip. She knew she had said that, but she would never admit it now.

Dana nodded slowly before letting out a laugh “You totally said it. What changed your mind?”

“Nothing!” Quinn snapped, looking at her sister with another fierce glare. “I never said that! Why do you even care?”

“I don’t” Dana said with a shrug “Except for the fact that my baby sister is being disgusting.”

“I am not a baby” She shook her head and set down her fork again. She took a deep breath through her nose to keep herself calm before looking at her sister again “And who I date is none of your business.”

“Sure it is” Dana shrugged “It’s everyone’s business, isn’t it? You are Quinn Fabray, everyone cares right?” She looked around the table at all the cheerleaders sitting there watching the scene as they ate their lunch. She pointed at one of the girls and nodded “Hey you, what’s your name?”

The girl looked around then realized Dana was talking to her and gulped before she spoke softly “Mindy.”

“Mindy” She threw a thumb in Quinn’s direction and arched an eyebrow “You care about who Quinn dates?”

The girl looked at Quinn then back to Dana. She looked terrified and it was obvious she couldn’t decide who she was more afraid of.

“Don’t be shy” Dana said in a near sing song voice “Just answer the question.”

“Um” She licked her lips and shrugged her shoulders “Not really as long as she’s happy.” She turned and looked at Quinn and added quickly “But Finn is really cute.”

“You hear that?” Dana looked at Quinn now with a sarcastic smirk on her lips “Finn is really cute. Does that approval make your day?”

“What is your point?” Quinn was gripping her fork now and trying not to stab her sister in the eye.

Dana lifted her finger to shut Quinn up and signal to give her a moment before she turned and looked at Brittany. She slid her arm around the girl then pointed to Mindy again “You afraid of me?”

The girl nodded quickly.

Dana smiled then pointed to the girl next to her “You afraid of me too?”

The new girl nodded as well.

She threw a thumb to Quinn and nodded “You two afraid of Quinn?”

The girls looked at Quinn and both nodded. 

Dana perked an eyebrow and smirked a little “Do you consider her a friend?”

The girls looked at each other and guilt came to their lips before they both shook their head.

Dana let out a laugh and smiled before she looked at Brittany “What about Brittany here? You girls like her?”

The girls smiled and nodded quickly “She’s so funny and sweet.” Mindy said.

Dana nodded “Yeah she is.” She looked back at the girls and shrugged “You two consider Brittany a friend?”

The girls shrugged a little bit “Yeah kind of. She has been really nice to me since I started cheering. She has even let me borrow things if I forget them for practice.”

Dana nodded again then looked at Brittany before casting a glance to Quinn who was watching with a scowl on her face but watching intently. “Do you two care who Brittany dates?”

Again Mindy shook her head and smiled “Nope! I just hope whoever it is makes her happy.”

Dana gave a single nod then looked back to Brittany. She reached her hand out and slid her fingers under her chin. She smiled very softly then placed a kiss to her lips lightly, tenderly, letting it linger for a moment. Once the kiss broke, both girls smiled, and Dana slid her thumb over Brittany’s lips. She stared at her for a moment longer before looking back at the girls and shrugging “Do you care who she dates now?”

The girls shook their heads quickly, both of them all smiles. As Dana looked around the table, she saw all of the little cheerleaders smiling at them. Dana nodded to herself then looked at Quinn with a shake of her head. “Thanks ladies.” She kissed Brittany again quickly before getting up from the bench. She gave Quinn and heavy pat on the shoulder then looked at the girls at the table again before motioning to them with a nod “They don’t care, Q. The only one who cares is you.”

As Dana walked away, Quinn felt her cheeks burn a bright red. She dropped her head and bit at her lip. Her gut was twisting, feeling like it was on fire, feeling like she might puke. Dana knew about her and Rachel and even worse Dana knew what she was doing with Finn. She took a deep breath and fought off the feeling of nausea. She hated to admit it but her sister was right.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

The day had gone by slowly for Rachel. Every new class she had to go to and corner she turned she dreaded seeing Quinn just in passing. She didn’t want to see the girl parading around with her arm candy perfect jock boy toy and even worse she didn’t want her mad at her for whatever Dana had done. She felt sick to her stomach about the whole thing and her mind continuously raced with scenarios of what Dana had in mind.

Thankfully Rachel had avoided Quinn all day. It was mostly because of her skilled evasion tactics and taking alternate routes and not making unnecessary trips to her locker, just in case. She was relieved when the end of the day bell rang and she could rush to her Glee club rehearsals without fear of seeing Quinn. She would have to think of a way to deal with her on the ride home, but she would figure that out while pretending to listen to the less talented members try and prove they were good enough for a solo.

She was rounding the corner and had the choir room in sight when a firm hand shot out of nowhere, grabbed her arm, gave a tug, and pulled her off balance and into a room nearby. There was thud as the door closed and a click as the lock was turned and Rachel turned around with a glare on her face, ready to give a tongue lashing to her attacker. Instead she was stopped before the words could make it from her lips.

Quinn stood against the door of the bathroom, her arms folded, her eyes narrowed in a look that was a mix between anger and sorrow as she looked at the girl in front of her.

“Q-Quinn?” Rachel’s voice trembled and came out tiny as she looked at the blonde. “Wh-“

“Stop” Quinn lifted her hand to stop Rachel from speaking. She shook her head and slowly folded her arms again. She stared at the girl for another long moment, trying to decide what she was going to say. She had no idea. All she knew was she had wanted to talk to her but she hadn’t thought through what she was going to say. Now that she was faced with it she was kind of losing her nerve.

Rachel just stared back at the girl. She had to bite her lip to fight off speaking. She was trembling where she stood, her eyes locked on Quinn’s, and for a moment she thought maybe this wasn’t going to be bad.

Quinn blinked and turned her head when she realized she was staring into Rachel’s eyes. She would lose herself completely if she peered too long into those soft brown eyes. She shook her head a little and took in a deep breath. When she felt she could continue, she nodded and looked back at Rachel “You told my sister?”

“No” Rachel said quickly, shaking her head a little bit. “Well yes, but I didn’t mean to” She knew that didn’t make sense so she shook her head again “I wasn’t going to tell anyone, not until we figured all of this out, but then I saw you this morning with Finn and I was so upset that I was crying and she walked in and was smoking and it just sort of happened.”

“You were crying?” Quinn’s voice immediately dropped and she felt her heart twist. She closed her eyes and bit her lips, drawing a deep breath through her nose, trying to control herself. She had to stay strong. Her eyes fluttered open and she shrugged her shoulders “I have no idea why seeing me with Finn would upset you.”

Rachel’s eyes immediately filled with tears and she motioned with her hand to herself “You don’t?” She had to fight a break in her voice and the tears from spilling. She did not want someone who obviously could care less about her heart to see her crying. She couldn’t let Quinn win.

Quinn just shrugged. She held her stone bitch face but inside her heart was shredding in half at the sight of Rachel looking so broken.

Rachel’s chin trembled as she tried to fight the tears that so desperately wanted to fall. Her head shook slowly and she wiped at her cheek and let out a frustrated sigh “I thought we had something. I don’t know what it was, I was looking forward to discussing and discovering it with you, but obviously I was wrong!”

“Obviously” Quinn said with a shrug. She had to draw in another deep breath so she didn’t cry. 

Rachel’s eyes finally spilled and tears started to slowly slip along her cheeks. She blinked slowly, trying to clear her blurred vision, before focusing on Quinn again. Her face wasn’t telling her anything. Her eyes looked dead. How was this happening? “You can honestly just stand there and tell me you didn’t feel anything?”

Quinn shook her head and opened her mouth to say no. It didn’t come out and she had to turn away. She felt tears starting to form and had to swallow a lump in her throat. She bit her lip and closed her eyes taking in a deep breath.

Rachel felt her heart twist when she saw that. There was hope. There was something there and Quinn knew it too. Taking a shaky breath she stepped forward slowly and reached out to gently touch Quinn’s arm “You felt it too, I know you did. I could see it in your eyes and I could feel it when you kissed me.”

“I was wrong” Quinn snapped, pushing Rachel’s hand away, her chin trembling as she fought unshed tears. She looked at Rachel and when their eyes met she was betrayed. She knew Rachel could see right through her. She shook her head and wiped at a stray tear “There was nothing there.” She squeaked out with an unbelievable tremble.

“Quinn stop lying” Rachel stomped her foot and nearly growled out. She was so hurt and so frustrated and all she wanted to do was slap Quinn and kiss her all at once.

“Stop it, Rachel” Quinn’s voice was growing hoarse and she had to keep her eyes anywhere but on Rachel to keep herself from breaking down completely.

“You stop it, Quinn Fabray! Stop lying to me and stop lying to yourself.” She stepped forward again and pushed at Quinn. She bit her lip and pushed a firm finger into her chest “You’re scared and I get that. I am terrified of this, of you, of whatever is happening but I am also willing to try because not knowing and throwing something away is more terrifying than trying and failing.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. I’m not afraid of anything!” Quinn nearly screamed the words but neither one of them flinched. They were standing just inches apart, both of them with their chests puffed and their teeth bared, and neither of them backing down.

“Liar” Rachel growled, her tears now dry and replaced with a fierce determination “You are afraid of everything. You are afraid of living, of loving, of being judged, and being disliked. You are afraid of what people think, you are afraid of what you think of yourself, and most importantly you are afraid to just let yourself be without restriction or reserve.”

“Stop it” Quinn shook her head, pushing at Rachel’s shoulder now but the girl didn’t move. Quinn had her back against the door but Rachel wasn’t backing down. She didn’t want her to escape now that she had her pinned. She wasn’t going anywhere. Quinn’s chin trembled again and she pushed at Rachel again with a lot less strength than the first time “You have no idea who I am or what I’m feeling.”

“Yes I do” Rachel said firmly, her head shaking as she looked at the girl, longing to meet her eyes again “Don’t you see, Quinn? I feel what you feel and I know you. I have known you for a year. I have watched you and learned about you and now somehow we have come together in this surprising and electrically charged connection that neither one of us can deny.”

“You’re wrong” Quinn said softly, shaking her head, as her eyes met Rachel’s and revealed the terror she was feeling. “You have no idea what I am feeling.”

“Yes I do!” Rachel snapped, pushing the girl back again, this time making her hit the door behind her. Rachel grabbed Quinn’s face, cupping her cheeks and pulling until their lips met with a crash. Her lips parted and her tongue pushed into Quinn’s mouth which was surprisingly not closed. Rachel’s tongue swept back and forth, kissing her fully and deeply with all she had until she couldn’t breathe anymore. She pulled back and drew in a deep breath, her lungs burning, and her eyes immediately filling with tears again “Tell me you didn’t feel that.”

Quinn shook her head but her tongue slid over her lips and the taste of Rachel there made her tremble. She bit at her bottom lip and fought the tears growing in her eyes. Her hand reached out and tried to push Rachel away but her touch paused on her stomach and her fingers curled into the material of the shirt Rachel wore. She gripped at her shirt and gave a pull, tugging Rachel against her, even while her head still shook “I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t.” She let out a sob and her eyes closed as she felt herself break. She body was shaking as she gave into the silent sobs that had been threatening to take over since seeing Rachel in tears.

Rachel let out a strangled cry of relief when she saw Quinn crying. She would never be happy to see the girl in pain but the tears showed emotion. They showed the hope that Rachel thought had been lost. It showed that Quinn had given up the fight and hopefully the denial. She moved her arms around the girl’s waist and pulled her, closing the small gap between them, and showing Quinn her strength. 

When Quinn felt Rachel wrap her arms around her body she broke completely. She let out a soft cry and her hand untangled from Rachel’s shirt and moved around her waist. Her fingers curled into the material on the back of her shirt and gave a pull, almost afraid now that Rachel would move away if she let her go.

“It’s okay, Quinn” Rachel whispered out softly, her hand slowly sliding up and down along her back. She closed her eyes and let Quinn lay her head against her shoulder. She took in a deep breath and nodded her head as she silently soothed the girl in her arms “You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I am” Quinn choked out against Rachel’s neck, her body trembling “I don’t know how to handle this. I don’t know how to do this, Rachel.”

“We can figure it out together” Rachel whispered against Quinn’s ear. She kissed lightly against her cheek and made no move to make the girl leave her arms. As long as she needed her, she would be there. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“All I am is my status” Quinn cried softly, sniffling loudly and trying to regulate her breathing “I can’t be made fun of and teased, Rachel, I just can’t. I don’t have the self-esteem. I don’t have the strength.” She pulled back enough now to look at Rachel, wiping her eye with a shake of her head “I don’t like myself very much so I need other people to like me.”

“I like you Quinn” Rachel said in a soft whisper “Your sisters like you. Brittany and Santana, they like you. What more do you need? Friends aren’t measured by quantity but by quality.”

“Not in high school” Quinn said with a shake of her head “Popularity is everything.”

“No it’s not” Rachel said with a shake of her head. “Quinn, it really isn’t. None of these people will care about you after you graduate. You will be lucky to make a handful of friends to take from this place and these friends will be the ones who matter most. These will be the friends you call when you are bored, cry to when your heart is broken, and invite to every important moment in your life. These will be the people who want to see you succeed and be happy. These morons here? The ones that praise you for being a head cheerleader and being the prettiest girl in school? They don’t care about you. They won’t even remember your name.”

Quinn’s lip quivered and she shook her head as tears worked their way up again. She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as a tear fell against her cheek again “I can’t be slushied. I can’t be shoved into lockers or have my books stolen and started on fire.”

Rachel gave a half smile, lifting her hand now to Quinn’s cheek, wiping away a single tear “You are Quinn Fabray. You are head cheerleader to these morons and you are the top of the social ladder here. Do you really think they would slushie their queen?”

“Yes” Quinn said bluntly “They love nothing more than the chance to kick someone who has fallen from glory.”

Rachel shrugged a shoulder and shook her head “Then we will clean you up every day. We will work on your balance so they can’t knock you off your feet and we will keep your books in your back pack so they can’t get your books to light on fire.”

“You seem so sure” Quinn rolled her eyes and wiped her eyes again.

“I’ve lived with all of that for nearly two years now. You get used to it and if you don’t react they leave you alone. They only pick on people for a reaction.” Rachel smiled, using her thumb to wipe at another tear from her cheek “Besides, you really think Dana will let people bully you? If there is one person people are more afraid of than you, it’s her. And for good reason, she can beat up someone twice her size.”

Quinn laughed softly for the first time all day. Her smile lit up the room and Rachel took a deep breath when she saw it. She really was beautiful “I’m not going to rely on my sister to fight my battles. I’m Quinn Fabray, damn it.”

“Yes you are” Rachel beamed, letting out a laugh of her own “You can do anything you set your mind to. No one can push you around unless you let them, Quinn. So don’t let them. Be you, be your strong and powerful self, and don’t let anyone let you feel like being you is wrong or bad.”

Quinn smiled very faintly and gave her head a nod. She took a deep breath and pushed her fingers through her hair before dropping her hand and taking a hold of Rachel’s lightly “Is that what you do? Don’t let them push you around?”

Rachel shrugged a little bit “Well I am kind of small so, physically, I kind of can’t avoid it.” The girls shared a smirk and a laugh before Rachel shook her head and tucked some hair behind her ear, “But, yes, I don’t let them get to me. The moment I let them think they are better than me is the moment they are right. I am going to be something great one day and I know that these people don’t matter. Who matters are the people who are with me through the hard times.”

Quinn nodded her head a little and took in a deep breath. She let out a heavy huff of a sigh and lifted her hand to slide across her cheek and wipe at the dry streak from the tears she had shed. “I don’t know how to let myself not care.”

Rachel gave her a soft smile and shrugged her shoulders “We can work on it together.” She repeated what she said earlier before leaning in and placing a soft kiss against her cheek. She pulled back and shrugged her shoulders “That is, if you are willing to work on it. If not..” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly “I suppose I can just pine for you quietly in the background until after we graduate.”

“That sounds like a horrible idea.” Quinn mumbled. Her hand lifted and she touched at Rachel’s cheek, her head shaking very slowly “I don’t want you to be miserable. You deserve to be happy.”

“I’m happy when I’m with you.” Rachel said in a shaky whisper.

“But what if I can’t be with you?” Quinn asked, swallowing the lump in her throat as she said the words she feared to be true.

Rachel felt her heart twist and her gut wrench but she tried not to show it. She knew she was reaching for the stars thinking Quinn could just be with her. So she put on a brave smile and nodded her head “Just don’t be with Finn and lie to yourself. I can handle you not being with me because you’re scared of what people will think but I can’t handle you being with someone else just to make yourself look good. It’s such a lie and it’s not who you are, Quinn. You are not a liar.”

Quinn swallowed hard and gave another nod of her head. She looked down at her hands that were folded together now, her fingers squeezing at her own knuckles and twisting her fingers nervously. She didn’t want to look at Rachel at the moment because she didn’t want to see the heart break in her eyes. “I can’t make you any promises.” She licked her lips and gave a little nod “All I can say is I’ll try and work on this but I’m not ready to go all in.”

Rachel had expected as such. She drew in a deep breath and let it out through her nose. She puffed out her chest and put on a brave face as she reached out and used her fingers to lift Quinn’s chin until she could find her eyes. When their eyes met, she gave her a soft smile “If you’re willing to work on it, I am willing to wait for you.”

“And what if I just can’t do this?” Quinn asked, fear in her eyes and her tone as she stared into Rachel’s eyes. She was afraid of so many things but the thought of potentially losing Rachel forever might have been her biggest fear.

“Then at least I know you tried and that is all I will ever ask from you.” Rachel moved closer and leaned into Quinn again, gently letting their lips touch in a ghost of a kiss before she backed up and offered a genuine smile “Let’s just take it one step at a time, alright?”

Quinn drew in a deep breath, so deep it almost hurt her lungs to be filled that much, before letting it out slowly. She let her head nod and offered a genuine smile in return “Okay. One step at a time. I think I can definitely handle that.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	10. First date

“Is she actually coming to the house, knocking on the door, and picking you up?” Rachel had a smile on her face as she spoke, her fingers guiding Charlie’s hair as she gently braided it.

“Yeah, I guess” Charlie shrugged, trying not to make a huge deal out of it “She said she would pick me up at seven so I assume she borrowed her dad’s car and is going to come get me with it.”

Charlie and Santana had finally decided on a day for their date. Charlie did not want to do the typical dinner and a movie thing, so Santana had compromised. They could eat dinner first, because food was important, and then do something different. Santana had been in charge of picking the second activity for the night so Charlie was a little nervous to see what in the world she could have possibly found for them to do.

“There” Rachel whispered after clipping back the braid. She got off the bed where she had been sitting behind her friend and checked her work. She had given Charlie two braids, one on each side of her head, and pulled them back, leaving the rest of her hair down. She grinned when she saw her work, giving an approving nod “You look very cute.”

Charlie shifted on the bed enough to see herself in the body mirror that hung on her closet. She turned her head back and forth to inspect it as well and gave a little nod before settling back on the bed “Thanks, Rachel.”

“No problem! Now, let’s talk makeup!”

“I don’t wear makeup, you know this” Charlie rolled her eyes. Somehow she knew her friend would try and go all out.

“I know you don’t and normally I am all for the natural look because you are very beautiful without any help, but tonight is your first date! A little mascara and some eye shadow definitely will not hurt. If anything it will bring out your beautiful eyes and have Santana in a trance all night every time she looks at you.”

“That is a really stupid idea.” 

“No, it’s a brilliant idea” Rachel said with a nod “Eyes are very important. They are the windows to the soul. You can tell what someone is thinking or feeling with a simple glance. Besides, wouldn’t you rather have her staring at your eyes then your boobs all night?”

Charlie arched an eyebrow and looked down at her chest. There wasn’t exactly a lot to look at but Rachel did have a point. Santana tended to let her gaze wander, especially if she was bored. She definitely didn’t want to get to the point that Santana was bored enough to stare at her chest all night. “Oh god, what if I suck at dating? What if I’m boring? What if we have nothing in common?”

“Don’t be stupid” Rachel whispered as she dug through her bag of makeup she had brought over “Santana likes you, for who you are. I think the fact that you are smart and funny without being, you know, the center of attention all the time is what she likes most about you. You have a subtle charm and I think she is totally into that.” She found her mascara and grinned “Okay, now open your eyes and look up. Don’t move or I’ll poke you in the eye.”

Charlie stared at Rachel with a stern glare. There was no way she was putting on makeup. But when Rachel stared her down just the same, then glanced down at her chest, and shrugged, Charlie blushed “Oh my god, okay fine! But if she ends up staring at my chest anyway I am so never trusting your advice again.”

Rachel let out a laugh and opened the mascara “She might look anyway, this is Santana we are talking about after all, but as long as you keep her interested in whatever you are doing or saying, and keep eye contact with her, I am sure she will be so lost in your eyes she won’t have time to think about second base.”

“What about first base?” Charlie tilted her head up a bit and kept her eyes open wide as Rachel gently stroked the mascara brush against her eyelashes.

Rachel just shrugged, concentrating on her work so she didn’t miss a spot. “I actually have no idea what the bases constitute. I think first base is a kiss, maybe, I don’t know. I am pretty sure second base involves some sort of groping. Whether it’s over or under the shirt I haven’t quite figured out. Third base definitely involves loss of your shirt and some hands below the belt.” She pulled the brush back and dipped it in the tube “Blink.”

Charlie blinked then looked at her friend with a bit of worry on her face “What if Santana expects me to put out? I mean, this is a date, isn’t that the socially expected thing? She buys me dinner, we have a good time, the night goes on and I show my gratitude with my body?”

Rachel let out a soft giggle, shaking her head and motioning for Charlie to look up again before starting work on her other eye “Where on Earth did you get that idea?”

“The movies” Charlie shrugged “every single romantic novel. Most television shows, although on t.v. it’s usually just implied sex and never really detailed.”

“Those things are all made with entertainment in mind. Everyone wants to see the girl and the guy get it on, the world is sex driven, but that is not how real life goes, trust me.”

“How would you know? You’ve never been on a date.”

Rachel just shrugged at that. She was silent for a long time, using the fact that she was applying makeup as a cover for being deep in thought. Flashes of kissing Quinn jumped back and forth in her mind and eventually she had to close her eyes. She drew in a deep breath then pulled her hand back, putting on a quick smile as Charlie blinked and brought her eyes down to Rachel “Trust me, this entire step by step process of what romance is like is for your entertainment only. Real life does not work that way.”

Charlie eyed her friend for a moment, trying to decide what she could possibly know about it all. She seemed to be hiding something but before she could ask what, Quinn was sticking her head in, interrupting her thoughts.

“What are you guys doing?” Quinn looked at Charlie, and then at Rachel’s back that was to her, and smiled “Oh, getting ready for your big date with Santana?”

“Go away” Charlie mumbled, suddenly feeling like she was about to be teased and tormented.

“Can I help?” Quinn stepped into the room, a genuine tone in her words.

“You want to help?” Rachel turned to look over her shoulder, catching Quinn’s eyes on her and giving her a sweet smile. “That would be lovely. You’ve been on more dates than either of us, maybe you can talk some sense into your sister.”

“Oh, sure” Quinn’s eyes lingered on Rachel a moment before she looked back to Charlie “what’s going on?”

Rachel laughed as she pulled out a light shade of eye shadow that would match the shirt Charlie was wearing “Charlie thinks that people expect sex at the end of dates.”

“Well Santana usually does” Quinn said with a shrug causing Charlie to scoff and look at Rachel with a glare as if to say she told her so. “But you are also unlike anyone Santana has ever dated.” She shrugged and pulled the desk chair over near the bed, sitting by the post so she could see both Rachel and Charlie as she spoke “Actually, Santana hasn’t ever ask anyone out. It’s usually more of a…” She shrugged, narrowing her eyes as she thought about what she wanted to say for a moment before laughing “Hey you, we’re hanging out tonight. Look hot.”

“Charming” Charlie mumbled, looking at Rachel again “I think I made a mistake.”

“What do you mean?” Rachel asked before lifting up the eye shadow brush “Close your eyes.”

“It’s Santana, guys. Maybe this is just some huge plot to, you know, get laid and once she gets what she wants she will drop me.”

“I doubt it” Quinn said before Rachel could. She took the fact that her sister’s eyes were closed and used that moment to stare at Rachel as she spoke “She actually really likes you. I bet you she is more nervous than you are.”

The look that Quinn’s eyes had held while saying that made Rachel pause. It was as if Quinn was not only speaking for Santana, but for herself, too. It made Rachel’s heart skip and she slowly nodded “Santana has no need to be nervous. Once you two settle into the date, you’ll have so much fun you’ll forget it’s a date at all.”

Quinn nodded a little bit, her eyes still on Rachel. She understood what Rachel meant. She was trying to remind her to take a chance with her and see just how it turns out. “But Santana’s never done anything like this before. What will people say when they see her out on an actual date with someone?”

“I doubt anyone cares” Rachel said quickly “Santana’s friends support her, isn’t that all that should matter?”

Quinn bit her lip and took a deep breath, nodding a little bit “It should be, but you know Santana, she can’t get past caring what everyone else thinks.”

“She’s going to live a long lonely life if all she cares about is pleasing other people and not herself.” 

“Ouch! Rachel you just jabbed my eye so hard” Charlie opened the eye that hadn’t been assaulted by the eye shadow brush and looked at her friend with a half scowl “What the Hell? I thought you knew what you were doing.”

“I’m so sorry” Rachel whispered softly, blushing a little bit and dropping her gaze away from Quinn “I, uh, couldn’t get the right shading so I pushed too hard. I’m sorry I won’t do it again.”

“I still say this makeup idea is stupid” Charlie said, closing her eye again and shrugging “But you’ve already started. If you make me look stupid I’ll never forgive you.”

“I’m not going to make you look stupid.” Rachel’s eyes lifted and she looked at Quinn again who looked a little guilty about the conversation they had just had. “I care too much about you to ever make you look like a fool.” Rachel nodded at Quinn, letting her know that she had been talking directly to her this time.

“Do you really think Santana cares about being seen on a date?” Charlie whispered “or just on a date with me, her best friend’s loser sister.”

“You’re not a loser” Quinn and Rachel both said at once, causing them to share a smile. “Santana is lucky to have you” Rachel added with a nod.

“I envy Santana” Quinn whispered softly. When she saw Charlie raise an eyebrow at that, she let out a laugh “Not because she has a date with you, that’s gross, but because she went after what she wanted no matter what anyone thought about it. That’s brave.”

“I guess” Charlie mumbled softly. The girls sat in silence for the next few minutes as Rachel finished applying the eye shadow. Once she was done, she offered Charlie a mirror as she put her stuff back into her back. Charlie gave a smile as she looked at herself, nodding a little bit “I hate to say it, but you were right.”

“See?” Rachel let out a laugh and stood up, taking her makeup bag over to her overnight bag and putting it away. “And I’m right about her not expecting sex, either. I just have a gut feeling about it so don’t let that worry you. Just go have a good time.”

“And if she tries anything, punch her in the gut and call me. Dana and I will be down there to kick her ass so fast.” Quinn punched at her palm and nodded.

Both girls stared at Quinn in disbelief. That was one of the most sisterly things either of them had ever seen Quinn do. They shared a glance, and then started giggling softly.

“I mean it! She has to respect my sister or I’ll rip her face off.”

“Okay” Charlie said with an amused shrug before she got off the bed and went over to her full length mirror. She stood there for a moment, eyeing herself closely. She examined everything about herself. She had never felt vainer in her life but she truly wanted to impress Santana.

“You look good” Quinn said softly “Don’t be nervous.”

“Well I am” Charlie said with a shrug before turning around to face the other two girls. She gave a smile to them then looked down at herself again “Thanks a lot you guys. Let’s just hope this isn’t a monumental failure.”

“Be yourself” Rachel said with a grin “She likes that.”

Suddenly the doorbell sounded and Charlie’s face went white. She took a deep breath and shook her head a little bit “Quinn will you go get that?”

“Sure” She stood up and went over to her sister, giving her a pat on the shoulder “No pressure, okay? If you two don’t work out at least you gave it a shot. That’s more than I can say for a lot of people.” Quinn glanced at Rachel, then to her feet, before she turned and walked out of the room to answer the door.

“You’ll be just fine. First dates are never as glorious as people make them out to be, okay? So, just expect the worst so everything else will exceed your expectations.”

“That is a horrible idea” Charlie said with a laugh “but brilliant, too.” She reached out and gave Rachel a firm hug before stepping back “What would I do without you?”

“Be weird, quiet, and friendless, probably.” Rachel said with a little giggle. Charlie nodded her head in agreement before she slipped her shoes on and grabbed her small purse she had borrowed from Quinn so she would have somewhere to put her wallet and phone.

“How do I look?” Charlie asked once more.

“Like a million bucks” Rachel said honestly “Santana is a lucky girl.”

“Thanks” She looked up to the door when she heard Quinn yelling that Santana was here. She took a steadying breath then looked at Rachel “Are you sure you’ll be alright here alone until I get home?”

“I won’t be alone, Quinn is here. I think Dana and Brittany will come back sometime tonight, too.”

“Just don’t let Quinn bully you into entertaining her or something. You don’t have to. You can hang out in here and read or watch t.v. until I get home, okay?”

“I’m not worried about it” Rachel said honestly before the girls left the room and headed toward the front door. Rachel let Charlie walk ahead of her down the steps so Santana could see her first. Okay it was a little romantic movie cliché but Rachel had always wanted to see a real life stair entrance to a date so this was really thrilling to her.

Santana held a flower in her hand and was talking to Quinn when she heard Charlie coming down the steps. She paused and looked up and immediately she smiled. Goosebumps covered her skin and she stepped forward to the bottom of the steps, waiting for her to hit the last one. When Charlie stepped onto the foyer tile, Santana offered the flower to the girl “I figured I would stick with the theme of flowers since I put one in your locker.”

Charlie let out a soft laugh and took it from her “At least this time I don’t have to wonder who it’s from.”

“You ready?” Santana asked with a smile and when Charlie nodded so did Santana. The girls headed to the front door and down the steps toward the driveway.

“No means no Santana!” Quinn called from the porch, causing Rachel to let out a soft laugh. The two girls stood there together, watching as Santana opened the door for Charlie and let her into the car before getting in and starting the engine. They pulled out and onto the street and as they drove away, Santana stuck her hand out the window and flipped off Quinn before speeding away and out of sight.

Rachel took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, a dreamy smile on her lips “So romantic. I really hope they have a good time tonight.”

“I’m sure they will.” Quinn glanced at Rachel and couldn’t help but smile. She was kind of a sap, wasn’t she? “Come on, let’s get inside.”

Rachel turned to go inside right as Quinn turned and they bumped into each other. Quinn’s arm shot out to catch Rachel from stumbling backwards and immediately Rachel blushed. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay” Quinn whispered, still holding tightly to Rachel’s waist where she had caught her. She stared deep into Rachel’s eyes, smiling at her softly. She could feel tingles all up and down her arm where she touched Rachel but she couldn’t manage to convince herself to pull her arm away. She took in a deep breath and let out a little laugh “We should go inside.”

“We should” Rachel agreed in a whisper, her eyes trained on Quinn’s. They shared a deep stare and neither of them made a move to go inside. It was as if the both of them were too transfixed on the other to move. So they stood there on the Fabray porch, in the darkness, staring at each other, afraid to make the next move.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Are you nervous?” Santana asked Charlie after they had sat there in the car silently for five minutes.

Charlie just shrugged. She didn’t want to admit it. She wanted to play cool. She was still trying to impress Santana for some reason. “Not really. It’s just a date, right?”

Santana looked at her for a moment then let out a laugh “Well I’m nervous.”

“You are?” Charlie looked shocked. Cool, calm, collected Santana Lopez was nervous. She immediately felt better. “Okay, yeah, I’m nervous.”

“Oh good” Santana let out a soft laugh. “Now that we have that out of the way we can move onto making fools of ourselves by spilling things or making awkward jokes.”

“Good thing I made a list of awkward jokes.” Charlie whispered, causing Santana to let out a laugh. The girls shared a smile and immediately they both felt at ease. The rest of the drive to Breadstix was quiet but not awkward.

As they pulled into the parking lot, Santana shut off the car then hurried around to Charlie’s door to help her out. She opened the door then offered a hand “You don’t have to hold it but I thought I’d go for the whole chivalry angle here.”

“You don’t need an angle.” Charlie said with a grin, reaching out to take her hand and lifting herself from the car. She didn’t let go of Santana’s hand as they moved into the building together. It wasn’t until they were inside that Charlie let go, suddenly feeling nervous at how many people were there.

They had to wait a few minutes for their table to open, it was a Friday night after all, but once they were seated they both took to their menus immediately. Again they were silent but it wasn’t awkward. Soon drinks and food were ordered and the girls were left at the booth, sipping through straws, waiting for their meals. Santana tapped her fingers against her cup anxiously and Charlie looked around at the decorations.

“It’s busy in here” Charlie said with a nod before bringing her eyes back to Santana. She gave her a soft smile when she saw Santana watching her. A light blush filled her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her cup “So what are we doing after this?”

“What?” Santana looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

Charlie’s eyes shifted then motioned to Santana with a flick of her wrist “You were supposed to choose what we do after dinner.”

“I was?” Santana’s eyes got wide and her mouth dropped. “Oh shit.”

“Oh my god Santana are you serious?” Charlie’s voice went up a pitch as panic started to take over.

Santana let out a laugh as a sly smile took over her lips “Nah, I just wanted to freak you out. You will just have to wait and see.”

“You are so rude” Charlie let out a relieved sigh and shook her head. She fought laughing at her because she was sure it would encourage it, but she couldn’t help it and a soft giggle rose from her lips. “I was freaking out.”

“I know. You Fabrays are all the same. A little chink in your plans and you freak.”

“That is so not true!” Charlie huffed and folded her arms.

Santana just perked an eyebrow and smirked as she sipped at her straw “Mhm” She hummed in amusement.

They shared a knowing smile as their food was delivered and the dove into their food. They shared light conversation as they quietly ate together. Things were going well. Charlie was surprised. She wasn’t nervous at all anymore. 

“You want some dessert?” Santana asked as the server was taking their plates away. “It’s on me so don’t be shy.” Her tone was genuine and Charlie could tell it was a real offer and not some sneaky innuendo about getting  into her pants.

“I’m full. Thank you, though.” She took a last sip from her drink then nodded her head “Are you ready to go to whatever is next?”

“Are you sure you trust me?” Santana asked with a laugh as she pulled out some cash for their dinner. Once the check came, she made sure she had enough before tucking the cash into the book and standing from the booth. She reached out to Charlie again and nodded her head “Let’s go.”

“Of course I trust you.” Charlie said with a nod, taking Santana’s hand, this time not letting it go as they walked through the tables toward the door. “I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t.”

“That’s good to know” Santana said with a sweet smile as they headed to her car. Soon they were inside, buckled in, and on the way to their next stop.

Charlie didn’t press Santana anymore even though her curiosity was getting the best of her. She knew they would be there soon and like she said, she trusted Santana. So she sat quietly, watching the scenery fly by, trying to guess where they were going as she drove. After ten minutes the car slowed down and they were pulling into a parking lot. Charlie perked up a bit, looking around before looking back to Santana with a curious cock of her head to the side “Is this the…museum?”

“What?” Santana laughed lightly, shrugging as she pulled into a spot “I like stuff like this?”

“Mhm” Charlie hummed and let out a laugh. “What exactly is stuff like this?”

“You know” Santana shrugged again and looked out the window at the building before looking back to Charlie. She rolled her eyes and laughed when the girl looked at her with unconvinced eyes. “Alright, fine, I’ve never been into artsy learning stuff but I know you are. Just come on.” She got out with a huff and went over to once more offer Charlie her hand to get out of the car.

“You didn’t have to do this” Charlie said as she got out “I don’t want you to be bored.”

“I won’t be” She said with a smile, her fingers sliding through Charlie’s as they moved through the parking lot toward the building. As they approached, Santana paused and pulled out two tickets. “The largest Ornithology exhibit in the world is touring across the country. I know you like birds so I thought this would be perfect.”

Charlie stared with awe at the tickets in Santana’s fingers for a long time. Just when Santana was getting nervous, Charlie smiled and reached out to take her ticket “Are you serious?”

“Yeah” Santana whispered in a bit of relief. “So you wanna head inside?”

“Yeah!” Charlie squeaked in excitement and tugged at her hand, nearly running toward the door. She blushed when she realized what she had done and shyly lifted her ticket to the girl standing at the door. The girl just gave her a laugh and scanned her ticket, Santana’s as well, before telling them to have fun and letting them inside.

Charlie had been to the museum countless times. Sometimes she and Rachel could waste an entire Saturday there. There were always rotating displays on various subjects so each time they came there was something new to look at. But being here, now, with Santana and the biggest Ornithology exhibit in the world was a whole new experience.

“Do you want to look at anything specific?” Charlie asked after a minute of looking around. She had already checked the map to see which level the exhibit was on and also made notes of anything new before looking at Santana “Anything you are dying to learn about?”

“I’m already learning.” Santana whispered, staring at Charlie with a soft smile on her lips. When she noticed the blush of Charlie’s cheeks, she let out a laugh and shook her head “Nothing specific, as long as we see the birds. That’s why we are here, right?”

“Right” Charlie said with a happy smile. She grabbed Santana’s hand again and nodded “Then let’s go!” Without another word, the two of them were heading up two flights of stairs toward the special exhibit. Soon they were surrounded with birds. Each new room held a new display. They had skeletons, feathers, feet, eggs, and nests. Every detail about birds you could ever want to know was out there on display. Charlie leaned into a plate on the wall, reading over the details of the current display, smiling ear to ear.

“Learning a lot?” Santana asked softly, having come up behind her after looking at the feathers.

“This is amazing” Charlie breathed out with an unbelieving shake of her head as her eyes feasted on the rare bird case she was staring at. “They are so beautiful, don’t you think?”

Santana had her arms folded, her shoulder leaning against the wall, and her eyes on Charlie. She was watching her every smile and when Charlie turned to ask again if she thought they were beautiful, Santana nodded slowly “Most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

The way that Santana was staring at her made Charlie blush. She rolled her eyes and gave Santana’s shoulder a shove “I meant the birds.”

“I know” Santana said with a smirk, pushing off the wall with a wink “So did I.” She walked around Charlie and moved onto the next window pane to check out what was in there.

Charlie rolled her eyes and laughed as she looked back at the rare birds. Santana had been talking about her, she could tell, and for the first time it hadn’t grossed her out. She wouldn’t admit it, but she liked the way Santana was looking at her tonight. It made her feel, well, beautiful. Special.

The rest of the night was spent moving from display case to display case. Santana made jokes and laughed at some of the names. Charlie tried to memorize as much as she could. The two of them not leaving the other for too long. It was a great night, really, and as they were walking out toward the car two hours later, Charlie had a smile that stretched from ear to ear on her face.  

Once they were back in the car and on their way home, Santana couldn’t help but glance at Charlie every now and then. She could see her smiling and that made her smile. She was glad it hadn’t been a disaster. “Did you have a good time?” Santana asked at a stop sign.

Charlie looked over at the girl and nodded her head slowly. She looked into her eyes and a smile broke through the darkness of the car “It was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better first date.”

“Good” Santana nodded then took off from the stop sign toward the Fabray home. She was about to turn down the street the house was on when Charlie reached over and touched her arm “Take a left.”

“But you live down the right way” Santana looked at her with a curious look.

“I know” Charlie nodded and sat back “But I want to show you something.”

Santana stared at Charlie for a moment before slowly nodding her head and switching her blinker to the left. She checked that the coast was clear then took a turn to the left. She couldn’t help but be excited by Charlie’s mysterious change of directions. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see.” Charlie whispered and pointed down the road “Just drive.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Rachel’s hand moved slowly along Quinn’s side. She took in the way her body curved subtly under the shirt she wore. A smile came to her lips where they were pressed to Quinn’s as it dawned on her that maybe she was starting to get close to understanding the bases and what they mean.

Quinn let out a soft moan against the kiss they were tangled in. The feel of Rachel’s body above her and her soft hands sliding along her body was eliciting sensations she wasn’t familiar with. She wasn’t complaining. Her heart rate continued to climb with each pass of Rachel’s fingers against her side.

It had all happened in a flash. In one moment they were awkwardly bumping into each other on the porch, the next they were stumbling through the door with their lips sealed together. It was something the about feel of Rachel in her arms and the look in her eyes that had broken her reserve. She hadn’t been able to control herself. Before she knew it, she was taking Rachel’s lips against hers in a heated kiss and dragging her inside. They landed on the first soft surface they came across which happened to be the couch in her mother’s tea room. It was funny that she called it her tea room because tea was the last thing they drank in there.

As Rachel’s tongue swept over Quinn’s and the kiss continued to grow deeper Rachel felt herself gain a bit of nerve and on the next pass along Quinn’s body, her fingers pushed up under the hem of the shirt she wore. Her fingers delicately brushed along Quinn’s warm skin and she smiled pleasantly when Quinn didn’t object.

Object? That was the last thing on her mind. When Rachel’s fingertips had slid across her skin she had felt tingles shoot through her from head to toe. There was a warmth of need that had spread through her body that she had never felt before. A stirring was rising, an urge for more. It was terrifying but at the same time she couldn’t bring herself to question it.

When the kiss finally broke, because Rachel needed to take a breath, her hand stayed on Quinn’s stomach. She pulled back from the kiss and gave her a smile as she gently licked over her lips. She drew in a few long breaths to try and calm her racing heart before letting out a giggle. She opened her mouth to say something but wasn’t sure what to say so she just blushed and bit onto her lower lip.

Quinn laughed too, lifting her hand to tuck some of Rachel’s loose hair behind her ear before slowly letting her fingers slide down her neck and rest there. They were staring into each other’s eyes, a habit they both seem to be quickly forming when they were near each other. Quinn couldn’t fight her smile, especially when Rachel was smiling down at her.

“Are you alright?” Rachel finally asked. She immediately let out a laugh and shook her head “I have no idea what I mean by that inquiry. Those were the first words that managed to form after that amazing kiss.”

“That wasn’t a kiss that was an entire make out session.” Quinn said with a soft laugh before her head slowly nodded and her fingers moved down the back of Rachel’s neck, playing in the soft hairs there. “Yes, I am alright. More than alright.”

“Good” Rachel whispered, moving her hand now from Quinn’s stomach to her side. She could feel the goosebumps on her skin and that made her grin. “Do you want me to move my hand?”

Quinn shook her head quickly “No, it’s okay. I like it.”

“I can tell” Rachel whispered, sliding her fingers now along each rib she could feel. She watched her hand move under the material of Quinn’s shirt but never moved it up. She stayed just below the bra line, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

“That tickles” Quinn smiled, biting her lip as she watched Rachel watching her hand. 

“It does?” Rachel asked with a grin. When Quinn nodded, Rachel crinkled her nose and pushed her fingers into her side a bit more firmly. She gave them a few playful wiggles and immediately Quinn tensed up.

“Don’t!” Quinn’s eyes went wide and she dropped her hand off her neck, grabbing Rachel’s arm. “I mean it, don’t!”

“Don’t what?” Rachel asked sweetly before wiggling her fingers again. When Quinn flinched and started to wiggle, Rachel let out a squeal of delight. She dropped her other hand to her body as well, now attacking her from both sides.

Soon Quinn was screaming and thrashing, laughing hysterically and begging for mercy between deep breaths. She was pulling at Rachel’s hands and trying to roll out of her reach but with how Rachel had sat on her legs she was trapped. Tears started to form in her eyes from laughing so hard and she cried out through heavy breaths “Stop, stop, I can’t breathe!”

Rachel let out a happy giggle and her hands stilled under her shirt. She sat back on Quinn’s legs and folded her arms, looking triumphant as she looked at the helpless girl under her. “Quinn Fabray is ticklish, I am telling everyone.”

“No you are not!” Quinn threatened, lifting a hand to wipe at her eye, still laughing.

“And why shouldn’t I?” Rachel teased. She wouldn’t say a word, of course, but she liked the power she had at the moment.

“Because I will never kiss you again!” Quinn growled, pushing at Rachel’s stomach and sitting up. She huffed and tried to act annoyed but when she looked back at Rachel and saw the look on her face, she couldn’t help but smile. “Why do you look so satisfied right now?”

“Because” Rachel said with a shrug, leaning in to kiss at her lips just once “You’re ticklish.”

“So?” Quinn smirked, rolling her eyes.

“So” Rachel nodded “Just let me have that.”

Quinn sighed and touched another kiss to her lips before nodding “Just don’t tell anyone.”

“And ruin the fun of poking your side and in public and seeing you squirm?”

“You wouldn’t!” Quinn squeaked, looking completely mortified through her laugh.

“Maybe” Rachel said cutely, shrugging and giving a little bounce on her legs. The truth was they had a secret. They had a lot of secrets. All of their kissing and hand holding and now making out on the couch, but this was a secret that wouldn’t be painful to withhold. This is not a secret that feels like a lie by not saying it out loud. This was something they shared, together, in a positive way. Quinn Fabray was ticklish. She loved it.

The front door swung open with a thud and both Quinn and Rachel jumped. As a reflex, Quinn had pushed at Rachel’s shoulders, causing the girl to topple backwards and nearly fall off the couch as Quinn pulled her legs out from under Rachel and sat upright as if nothing had been going on.

Rachel was barely able to adjust her skirt and straighten her hair with her hands when Dana came stomping by the tea room. A room that is usually always empty warrants no glance so Dana blew by without even looking.

Then she stopped, backed up, and poked her head in the wide open doorway that had fancy French double doors that were never drawn closed. It was basically a nice, untouched, fancy room for show. Dana perked an eyebrow when she saw not one, but two, people sitting innocently on the pristine white couch. A smirk curled over her features and she propped herself up against the doorway with her arms folded “What you two doing?”

“Nothing” Rachel replied quickly, almost frantically, making it obvious that there had been something going on.

“I was showing her mom’s crystal” Quinn said with a calmer demeanor, even adding a shrug for show. “She likes stuff like that.”

“Yeah” Rachel added in agreement quickly before putting on a fake stage smile “It’s beautiful.”

Dana looked back and forth between the two, studying them for a long time. She didn’t believe a word they said but instead of embarrassing Quinn and potentially causing her to clam up and hurt Rachel again, she just shrugged it off. Maybe she had a soft spot for Rachel. Those tears in the bathroom had really gotten to her. “Well do you know when Charlie and Santana are getting back? I wanted to make sure Santana didn’t defile my sister.”

“Crude” Quinn huffed and stood up from the couch now, not glancing back at Rachel as she headed to the door. “No, we don’t know when they are coming back. I assume soon because it’s been nearly three hours so they are either arrested for fighting in public, one of them is dead and the other is burying the body, or they are coming home. You know Charlie doesn’t like to stay out late.”

“Plus she has a book she needs to finish for a book report on Monday” Rachel added, having gotten up from the couch and walked over to join the sisters at the door. She gave Dana a smile then glanced at Quinn “I am sure you’re right, they are probably on their way home right now.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“What is this place?” Santana asked as she slammed the trunk of the car and headed toward the hood where Charlie was perched, overlooking the scenery.

“I don’t know, some factory or mill or something” She shrugged and looked at Santana as she crawled up the hood to join her. “All I know is it is old.”

“Probably haunted” Santana mumbled as she lifted the blanket she had pulled from the trunk and slung it over both she and Charlie’s shoulders. They sat up on the hill just above the city in the old industrial district of Lima.

“Probably” Charlie said without hesitation. Ghosts really didn’t scare her. “It’s peaceful here, though.”

“It is” Santana agreed with a nod, her eyes looking over the lights below. “It’s weird that we are like five minutes from town but I feel so far away up here.”

“It’s nice” Charlie whispered, looking over to Santana with a smile “Sometimes I hike here just to get away.”

“Do you bird watch?” Santana asked with a smile.

The fact that she would ask that caused Charlie to blush and give a smile as she nodded “Usually. Not so much in the winter but a lot of birds have built their nests high in the rafters of the factory. I can see them through the windows.”

“Cool” Santana whispered. She looked back over the city and sat silent for a long time. The both of them did. They were enjoying the view, the silence, and the peace. It was nice just to get away from it all. After a few minutes Santana looked back to Charlie though and whispered through a smile “You’re really smart.”

“So are you. You have great grades” Charlie shrugged.

“That doesn’t mean I’m smart, it means I am good at taking the information I am given and using it to my advantage. I hardly ever remember the stuff.” Santana lifted her hand now and pushed a loose bit of hair from Charlie’s braid behind her ear. 

“Is that what you are doing with me?” She asked bluntly, blinking as her head slowly turned to focus her gaze on Santana now.

Santana shook her head and dropped her hand from her face “What advantage do you think I’d use any information about you to achieve?”

“Sex” Again Charlie spoke bluntly. No need to beat around the bush.

Santana was quiet for a moment. She didn’t want to be hurt by Charlie’s words but it was a fair assumption with the way she carried herself. After a moment, though, she shook her head “If this was about sex I would have given up by now. Just sex isn’t worth getting dressed up and going on dates and looking at birds all night.”

“So you were bored” Charlie mumbled, frowning and turning to look back over the city.

“No I wasn’t” Santana whispered softly, though genuinely “I was fascinated all night.”

“By birds?” Charlie glanced back at her and shook her head “Doubt it.”

“No, by you” Santana reached out now and grabbed Charlie’s hand from under the blanket. “You obviously haven’t noticed, or gotten it through your thick Fabray skull, so let me spell it out to you. I like you, Charlie. I like you in a way where I want to know you. I want to learn the things that make you tick and the things that you’re afraid of. I want to make you laugh and hopefully never make you cry.”

Charlie stared at Santana for a long time even after the words faded from her lips. She saw the light that reflected in Santana’s eyes from the moon and in that moment she could see the honesty. Her heart started to beat faster the longer she stared at her and she found herself having to take a breath and look away. “Why do you like me?”

“I have no idea” Santana said with a laugh. When she realized that sounded bad, she quickly added “I mean, you are interesting and smart, like I said, but I’ve known you as long as I’ve known Quinn. You would think I would just over look you, you know? But you and Quinn, you and Dana, are all so different and as much as I like those two, for some reason there is something about you that just intrigues me. You’re not like any other person I know.”

Charlie nodded and slowly brought her eyes back to Santana. Again she saw the honesty that flickered off her eyes and realized how open Santana was being. She was the most open Charlie had ever seen her, maybe the most open anyone had ever seen her. It was refreshing. Maybe that is why the next question slipped out of her lips so easily “What happened with Brittany?”

She saw Santana tense and intake a deep breath but she didn’t immediately respond. She looked out over the city and let out a heavy sigh. When she saw a puff of smoke lift where her breath hit the air she looked back to Charlie and smiled “Let’s get in the car and warm up.”

Charlie wasn’t sure if she had crossed a line but she didn’t seem mad. So the girls crawled into the car and Santana turned on the heater to warm them for a moment. Charlie didn’t press the issue. She felt bad for bringing it up already.

It was several minutes of silence, the hum of the heater the only sound, and then Santana started to talk. “It happened over the summer. We’ve always been close, that’s no secret, but I realized one day that Brittany wasn’t just my best friend. I asked her why she dated so many people when there was someone so close to her that was willing to always be her date. When she asked what I meant, I told her me. She wasn’t really surprised, we’ve always sort of fooled around and stuff. I think what surprised her, though, was that I told her I wanted it to be just her and me.” She swallowed hard in her throat, her eyes trained out the window, unblinking as she continued. “I thought I was in love with her, so I told her that. She told me that I didn’t know what love was.” 

“How does she know?” Charlie whispered without thinking. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head “Sorry, go on.”

Santana gave her a soft smile and let out a laugh “That’s what I said. I was so furious with her. My best friend since I was like, in diapers, was not only telling me how to feel but telling me I was wrong? She didn’t mean it that way. Brittany is so sweet and innocent and honest. Sometimes she comes off as blunt and maybe I couldn’t handle that, but she was right. I thought I was in love with her but I wasn’t. I was in love with the idea of being in love with my best friend. Does that make sense?”

When Santana glanced at her for acknowledgement, Charlie nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Santana nodded too then looked back through the window “So anyway, I flipped out. I accused her of leading me on, of never really caring about me. I said some really ugly things. I couldn’t stand to be around her, just seeing her hurt too badly. I went to the only friend I had left; Quinn.” She shrugged a little bit at that “But she wasn’t home, Dana was. Dana never asked a single question. She looked at me and knew something was up. So we broke into your dad’s liquor cabinet, took a bottle, and got the Hell out of there.” She shrugged and slowly brought her eyes back to Charlie “It was just easier not to feel than face the pain.”

Charlie reached out and gently put her hand on Santana’s shoulder, rubbing it lightly “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s alright” She said softly “I’ve learned a lot, actually. Dana’s not entirely inept when it comes to feelings and shit.”

“She’s brilliant” Charlie said with a smile “I don’t tell her, though. She hates it.”

“She’s afraid, I think, of being victim to feelings as well. So instead she fights them all and just let’s everyone around her feel.”

“Did she tell you this?”

“You can tell. She is always so in tune with the people around her that you know her heart is there, waiting to be touched, but afraid the touch may burn, you know?” Santana gave a quick shake of her head and rolled her eyes “Anyway, she helped me a lot. I worked through the pain and the betrayal and it was because of her. She opened my eyes to what Brittany might be feeling, how it’s not the end of the world, plenty of fish in the sea. She is like a fortune cookie, some of the shit she says.”

Charlie let out a laugh and gave her head a nod “She was always kind of a know-it-all when we were younger. I kind of actually miss it.”

“She will come around.” Santana lifted her hand and took Charlie’s fingers off her shoulder and gently laced her own through, giving her hand a soft squeeze as she held it. “Do you know the moment I let Brittany go?”

Charlie shook her head a little bit and returned the squeeze of her hand.

Santana smiled “Do you remember the day earlier this year that some jerk came and knocked your books out of your hands? Instead of getting upset about it, you mumbled something about that being his greatest accomplishment in life, then leaned down and scooped up your books.”

“That happens like weekly” Charlie said with a breath of a laugh. 

“I know and you never let it get to you.” Santana shrugged a little bit “I can’t explain it but when I saw it happen to you and the way you reacted, it touched something inside me and I thought to myself this girl could make anyone a good person.”

“So you just want me to make you a good person?” Charlie lifted an eyebrow in suspicion.

“No” Santana sighed “Charlie you have to stop thinking the worst in me. I just meant that in that moment I saw such a subtle beauty, from the inside, and thought how rare that was. That was the moment that I just knew I needed to get to know you more.”

“Sorry” Charlie mumbled through a blush on her cheeks. She felt bad that she was always thinking Santana was just running some scheme, especially after hearing how sincerely the girl spoke about her. She gave Santana’s hand a squeeze then leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek “I don’t think the worst in you. I’m just…” She shrugged and shook her head not sure if she wanted to admit it.

“Scared?” Santana whispered “It’s okay because so am I.”

“Really?” She asked in a shaky whisper “Because you scare me, Santana.”

“You terrify me, Charlie” Santana answered in a whisper even more trembling than Charlie’s “But I’m here, aren’t I? I want to face my fears with you.”

Charlie nodded her head quickly, taking in a deep breath to fight a wave of emotion. That was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever said to her. She shifted on the seat and drew closer, just enough to be able to press her lips to Santana’s lightly. It was quick, soft and almost too innocent, but it was perfect. It was a silent agreement that she was in. She would face her fears with Santana.

Santana smiled as the girl pulled back from her lips. Slowly her tongue swept across to sweep up the subtle hint of Charlie’s lips on her own. She gave one more squeeze of her hand to Charlie’s before she whispered “Now let’s get you home before those sisters of yours kick my ass. I can handle a lot of shit but those two? They are scary.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	11. One step forward and twelve steps back

“Dana move you are blocking my view” Quinn grunted, giving her sister a shove to the side.

“I was here first find another window” She hissed, putting her hand on Quinn’s forehead to keep her at arm length.

“You can’t see the porch from any other window” Quinn growled, slapping at her sister’s arm and ducking below her hand.

“Here” Rachel slid over so she was crouched in front of Dana and Quinn could squeeze in beside her. “Just don’t open the curtain too much. We don’t want them to know we are watching. Should we be watching? I mean isn’t this a violation of privacy?”

“Shut up, Berry” Dana hissed “They are getting out.”

Santana opened the door for Charlie, giving the girl a smile as she took her handd and headed up the front steps to the house. She paused outside the front door and turned to look at Charlie with a little shrug of her shoulders “I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for humoring me and coming out on a date. I know that was like the last thing you wanted to do.”

“Don’t say that” Charlie said with a frown. “I mean, yeah, at first I wasn’t sure why I agreed to it but I had a great time.” A smile came to her lips and her eyes sparkled with honesty “You’re actually very sweet, much to my surprise.”

Santana let out a soft laugh, lifting a shoulder in a half shrug “Yeah well, just don’t tell anyone. I kind of have a red to protect.”

Charlie rolled her eyes and grinned widely “Deal.”

The girls stood there on the porch, staring into each other’s eyes, both of them kind of trying to decide what the next move was. After a moment, Santana’s eyes lifted and she saw the curtains in the window shift. A smirk came to her lips and she slowly looked back to Charlie “They’re watching us, don’t look.”

Charlie’s rolled her eyes and let out a sigh “Is it just Quinn and Rachel?”

“No, no, I definitely saw pink hair.” Santana let out a laugh and slowly let her hand slide out of Charlie’s where she had been holding it. “I suppose I better leave now before she decides to light my hair on fire for touching you too long.”

Charlie shook her head and stepped up to Santana, sliding her hand around the back of her head and pulled her until their lips crashed together. It was a more firm kiss than the one in the car had been and Charlie even let her tongue flicker out against Santana’s. She let it linger for a few moments before she pulled back with a smile and a shrug “Screw them. I think you earned a goodnight kiss anyway.” She let out a laugh and stepped back, reaching for the door now.

“So…” Santana laughed, licking at her lips and giving a nod “I’ll see you soon then?”

Charlie nodded slowly, pushing the door open with a grin on her lips “Soon. Have a good night, Santana Lopez.”

Santana smirked, stepping down the first step and giving a wave “Sweet dreams, Chuck.” She almost expected Charlie to scold her for calling her that but instead the girl just nodded and turned to go inside. Santana shook her head slowly and headed back to her car. It had been a surprising night, to say the least. For the first time in longer than she could remember she actually felt a happy future without pining over Brittany was possible.

Charlie closed the door behind her then leaned her back against it and let her eyes close. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, unable to fight the smile that was spreading over her features. She had never felt more amazing in her life. She couldn’t deny it, she was completely into Santana. She let that sink in for a moment before she pushed off the door and called out “You can come out now. I’m not an idiot, I know you were watching us.”

“I didn’t want to, they made me” Rachel called out, pushing Dana out of the way and coming out of the living room where they had all been gathered at the window. She gave her friend a smile, trying to read the look on her face. “I’m so sorry. Are you mad?”

“Of course not” Charlie said with a soft laugh. “They’re my sisters and you’re nosy, I expected it.”

“I’m not nosy” Rachel mumbled.

“Yeah you are” Dana said with a nod as she joined the girls, giving Rachel a slap on the back then looking over Charlie. “So that was some heated lip action there.”

“Leave her alone” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes. “She can kiss whoever she wants.”

“But it was Santana!” Dana said with a laugh “Since when do you like your little sister making out with the sluttiest-“

“Hey” Charlie hissed “Watch it.”

Dana lifted her hands in surrender and shrugged “Santana has history, it’s a fact. I just can’t believe Quinn is okay with it.”

Quinn huffed and rolled her eyes, looking at her younger sister with a shrug “Did you have a good time?”

“Amazing. She took me to the Ornithology exhibit at the museum.” Charlie let out a dreamy sigh at the memory.

“Ohh” Rachel smiled, stepping a little closer “How was it? I know how badly you wanted to go.”

“So beautiful, Rach. We should go next weekend. I think you’d love it.”

“Oh yes!”

“Guys” Quinn cut them off and let out a laugh at how dorky they were before looking back at her sister “And did she respect you?”

“Of course” Charlie rolled her eyes, starting to get annoyed. “She was polite and sweet and we actually have a lot in common. She really opened up to me and I got to see a side of her I’ve never seen before.”

“Her boobs?” Dana asked which earned her a slap from Quinn and Charlie both which only made her laugh more.

“No” Charlie rolled her eyes. “Look you can’t say anything but Santana is actually really sweet when she wants to be.”

Rachel swooned on the spot. Quinn smirked a little. Dana let out a laugh and shook her head “I am totally teasing her.”

“You can’t!” Charlie whined and gave her sister a pleading look. 

Dana shrugged then looked over at Quinn “What was the point here?”

“Oh, right” Quinn said with a nod, giving her a smile “My point was that if Charlie had a good time and Santana treated her right and she was happy then why does it matter who she had a date with?”

Everyone stared at her.  Charlie was completely shocked to hear that because Quinn was one of the most judgmental people she knew. Dana was almost sure she saw Quinn look at Rachel when she said that. Rachel just stared at her with big dreamy eyes and a goofy smile on her lips. Maybe there was hope for them. Maybe this was a sign of things to come for them, too.

“Right” Dana said to break the weird silence that had fallen over them all. “Well whatever. If she ever hurts you I will punch her face in.”

“I know” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes, reaching out to pat Dana on the shoulder. “Now if you don’t mind I’m exhausted so I am going to call it a night. Rach, you coming?”

Rachel had her lower lip pulled between her teeth, fighting a smile as she stared at Quinn.

“Rachel” Charlie snapped near her ear which finally pulled her attention from Quinn “Hey, I’m going to my room are you coming?”

“Oh, yeah” Rachel shook her head and a light blush came to her cheeks “Of course. I want to hear the details of the date.” She turned and gave Dana a smile, then looked back at Quinn with a shy little shrug “Ladies, have a good night.” Her eyes lingered on Quinn as she and Charlie headed toward the bedroom, leaving the two older sisters to their own devices.

“Are you okay, you were acting really weird down there?” Charlie asked as she closed her bedroom door behind them once they were inside. “you’re not like jealous are you?”

“Me?” Rachel shook her head quickly, giving her friend a smile “No! I am so thrilled for you. I am so happy you took a chance on Santana because it sounds like things are going to work out wonderfully.”

“Right” Charlie nodded, putting down her purse and kicking out of her shoes. She let out a sigh as she sat on her bed. “You just seemed weird down there after Quinn said she was happy for me.”

“I was just proud of her, you know?” Rachel shrugged a little and dug in her bag to find a make-up cloth and hand it to her friend to clean her face “I thought she would be really, you know, against it. I am happy to see her giving Santana a chance if it means her sister is happy.”

“Yeah I guess” Charlie took the wet cloth from its packet and started to clean her face. She was silent as she relived the night in her mind, smiling every now and then at the memories.

Rachel had been watching her and every time her friend smiled, she did too. “So tell me everything. You just seem so happy, I want to know what happened!”

Charlie let out a laugh at her friend’s excitement, glad to see it was genuine. She then spent the next ten minutes recounting the events of the date. The dinner and the birds and even them at the old factory. She left out the talk about Brittany, though. Rachel didn’t need to know that yet. By the time she was telling Rachel that she had kissed Santana in the car, she had changed out of her clothes and into some pjs.

“Wait, you were the one that kissed her?” Rachel was almost giddy at that news.

“Yes” Charlie blushed a little and shrugged. “I don’t know, I couldn’t help myself. She was just so sweet and genuine and open and heart felt that it just happened.” She bit her lip and looked at Rachel to judge her reaction “Was that bad?”

“No! I mean, if the moment feels right you have to go for it. You can’t let those moments pass you by.”

“You sound like you are a professional or something” Charlie said with a laugh.

Rachel was almost hurt by that. But she also knew her friend did not know about anything that had happened with Quinn so, yes, it did seem like advice from someone who knew nothing on the subject. So she decided not to be hurt and just gave her friend a knowing smile “Has my advice been wrong thus far?”

Charlie opened her mouth to speak then stopped and shook her head and rolled her eyes “No. God I hate when you are right.”

“And I love it” Rachel said with a giggle as she spread out a blanket on the floor. “Now, let’s watch a movie and get some sleep. It’s been a big day, I am totally pooped.”

“You?” Charlie pulled her blanket up and got under it “What did you do?”

Rachel huffed and turned to look at her friend “I gave you advice, I calmed you down, and  I spent about three hours worrying about you. It was almost like I went on the date myself.”

“Whatever, glory hog” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes, throwing a pillow at Rachel.

Rachel dodged the pillow and laughed, grabbing it once it landed, and sliding it under her head “Thanks, I needed one.”

The girls spent the rest of the night talking casually while a movie played in the room. Somewhere between the second and third movie, their excitement died and exhaustion took over, and both girls finally found sleep.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Rachel” A soft whisper hit her ear and woke her from her slumber. It was still dark in the room so it must have been the middle of the night. She blinked an eye open and saw her blonde friend looking down at her with a smile. “Shhh.”

“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked groggily, rubbing at her eye as she tried to wake up. Something must be wrong if Charlie was waking her up in the middle of the night?

“Shhh, it’s okay. Let me help you get into the bed.” The voice was soft and comforting so Rachel just nodded with a yawn and stumbled to her feet with the help of her friend’s hands. She didn’t even open her eyes. She just let her friend guide her to the bed. She was almost sure she had fallen asleep before even getting to the bed. It was such a long walk and she was so tired.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

It was a soft knock on the door that roused Rachel next. This time, though, the room was light so it was most definitely morning now.  She groaned and rolled over, reaching out and giving a nudge to her friend next to her in bed. “Charlie someone is knocking.”

With another knock, Rachel let out a huff and sat up. She looked over and all she saw was blonde hair and a body shape under the blankets. Charlie was the lightest sleeper in the world, why wasn’t she getting annoyed that someone was knocking? Wait a second, this wasn’t Charlie’s blanket. Her head lifted and just as she noticed where she was, a soft voice broke in from behind the door.

“Quinn! Have you seen Rachel? It’s time for lunch and I thought she had gotten up before me but I can’t find her anywhere in the house.”

Rachel’s heart leapt in her throat. She was in Quinn’s bed! When did this happen? She panicked and lifted the blanket, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized they were both dressed. Good. Wait, why did she think she would be naked? That was such an idiotic thought. 

“Quinn?” Charlie’s voice sounded frustrated now, breaking into Rachel’s panicked thoughts. She reached for the doorknob and Rachel flopped back on the bed, trying to look as flat as possible. She scooted as close to Quinn as she could so she didn’t look like another body in the bed. She drew in a deep breath and held it. She couldn’t make a peep.

“Quinn get your lazy butt up! It’s almost noon!” Charlie stormed over to the bed and put her hand on Quinn’s shoulder, pushing and shoving her so hard that the entire bed bounced.  Rachel clenched her eyes tightly, trying not to move too much and give away that she was under the mess of blankets as well.

“Go away!” Quinn growled now, her hand lifting from the sea of blankets, pushing at Charlie’s arm. “I am sleeping. It’s Saturday I have the right to sleep in.”

“Have you seen Rachel?” Charlie said, slapping her sister’s hand away in return.

“Does it look like I’ve seen Rachel?” Quinn grumble, finally lifting her head and looking at her sister with a death glare “I am in bed, asleep. How could I have possibly seen Rachel? She probably went for a run!”

Wait, did Quinn know she was in bed with Rachel? Rachel frowned at that thought. If Quinn didn’t know she was there, how did she get there?

“Fine” Charlie rolled her eyes and stepped away from her sister’s bed and headed back for the door “I’ll wait and see if she shows up. Mom wants you up, she made lunch.” With that, she slammed the door behind her and stormed off.

Rachel let the breath out she had been holding and her lungs burned as the new oxygen filled her veins.

Quinn smiled and turned over on the bed. She slipped her arm around Rachel’s waist and gave her a little squeeze “Sorry about that I didn’t think she would come looking for you. I also didn’t think we would sleep this long.”

Rachel ripped the blanket off her head, which totally messed her hair, and looked at Quinn with confusion “How did I get here? More importantly though, why am I here?”

“Are you mad?” Quinn opened her eyes and looked at her with a curious gaze “I thought you’d be happy. I got lonely last night and I started thinking about, you know, putting more effort into this and I figured if I can’t show you effort in my own home how am I supposed to in public?”

“So you dragged me into bed with you?” Rachel wasn’t sure if that made sense and she definitely wasn’t sure if she was happy about it or not. 

“You didn’t seem to mind last night” Quinn said with a shrug. “You came without argument.”

“I don’t even remember it!” Rachel sat up now, which cause Quinn to pull her arm off her. Rachel let out a sigh and pushed her hair out of her face, combing it back so it wasn’t that much of a mess anymore. She suddenly realized she was in bed with Quinn and they were talking as if it was the most normal thing in the world and she wanted to impress Quinn with her morning look for some reason.

“You were pretty much sleep walking” Quinn said with a laugh. “You were cute. I came and got you and you were just like okay let’s go. You didn’t question it at all.”

Rachel nodded a little bit then let out a little laugh before glancing at Quinn shyly “Why didn’t you just ask me to sleep with you last night? I would have been able to enjoy it if I had been awake.”

“You seemed excited about hearing about Charlie’s date so I didn’t want to interrupt that.” She gave a shrug and propped her head on her hand as she rolled to her side. “Besides, would you have even said  yes?”

“Yes” Rachel said rather enthusiastically before realizing what she had done and blushing. She cleared her throat and shrugged before trying again “I mean that, yes, the possibility of me having agreed would have been very high.”

Quinn let out a laugh and reached out to put her hand on Rachel’s arm. She slowly let her fingers slide over her arm as her eyes lifted and she stared into Rachel’s eyes for a moment. “You look really cute in the morning.”

“Quinn” Rachel breathed out, shaking her head with pink cheeks from the compliment. Her eyes flickered with a hint of joy and she had to bite her lip to hide a smile. “So do you.”

Quinn let out a soft laugh and scooted closer to Rachel, her hand that had been lying on her arm now moved to slide around her waist. “You should sleep with me more often.”

“And how will I explain that to Charlie?” Rachel said while raising an eyebrow.

Quinn shrugged, her fingers sliding along Rachel’s side. Her fingers found a bit of skin peeking out from under Rachel’s shirt and she couldn’t help but let her fingertips graze across it. “Just sneak out after she falls asleep and tell her you go for a run every morning.”

Rachel let out a sigh and shook her head. Of course Quinn would think of an excuse rather than just telling her sister the truth. “I’m sorry but I can’t do that.” Even though her skin was enjoying the feeling of Quinn’s fingers, her hand moved to pick up her arm and pushed it off her completely before she slid out of bed. “I’m not going to lie to her about us. It’s already killing me not talking about everything that’s happened.”

“Rachel” Quinn sat up, frowning slightly “I…” She shrugged and bit her lip as her eyes lifted to meet Rachel’s with a pleading look “I can’t just tell them about us.”

“Why not?” Rachel shrugged, adjusting her shirt over her waist to hide the skin that had been peeking out. “They are your sisters, Quinn. Both of whom, if you haven’t noticed, are involved with girls. Do you really think they will care?”

“It’s not that” Quinn said with a shrug although her eyes gave a hint that that was in fact part of it.

“Then what is it?” Rachel huffed, trying to be patient but growing more frustrated. “Quinn you can’t have me in secret, okay? I am fine with you and me going slow and discovering this, whatever this might be, but you can’t hide it. I’m not going to put forth the effort and not get to be proud of it. Everything I do in life, everything I care about, I do with all of me and for the world to see. It’s who I am, Quinn. I can’t change that.”

“Not even for me?” Quinn asked softly.

Rachel shook her head, a frown rising on her features “Especially not for you. Not when you aren’t willing to give to me what I am giving to you. There are two people involved, Quinn. There needs to be two people giving and taking in this.”

“I’m scared” Quinn whispered.

“So am I” Rachel shook her head “But I was sure you were worth the fear.” She shrugged her shoulder and reached for the door “Now I’m not so sure.”

“Rachel” Quinn reached out toward her, sliding across the bed to sit on the edge “Please. You said you’d be patient.”

“I will” Rachel shook her head “But I can’t wait for the ice caps to melt either, Quinn.” She shrugged and turned now, opening the door and sliding out into the hallway. It was like one step forward and twelve steps back with Quinn and she wasn’t sure she could keep going like this.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“There you are” Charlie said when Rachel came down the stairs and into the dining room area to join her and Judy for some lunch. “Where were you?”

“The bathroom” Rachel said with a shrug as she slid into the chair next to her friend “I’ve had an upset stomach all night.”

“I knocked on the bathroom door” Charlie said with a shake of her head, handing over a plate.

“The one in the basement” Rachel said quickly “I didn’t want to wake anyone up with my puking.”

“Oh sweetie. Let me make you some tea!” Judy said quickly, getting up and heading into the kitchen swiftly.

“You just came down the steps” Charlie said with an accusing tone in her voice.

“I know” Rachel nodded, picking up her fork. “I went up to the room to see if you were awake before I came back down when I saw you weren’t there.”

Charlie opened her mouth to say something else but Quinn came down the steps, rubbing her eyes. She looked at Rachel, then Charlie, then rolled her eyes and plopped down at the other end of the table. Rachel sighed and looked down, feeling guilty for what she had said to her. Charlie just rolled her eyes “Good morning to you, too.”

“Eat me” Quinn mumbled, reaching for some food and starting to eat as soon as she could so she didn’t have to speak.

“Such a lovely person in the morning” Charlie said with a laugh then looked at Rachel with a shrug “So are you feeling better?”

“You’re sick?” Quinn looked up and had real concern in her eyes, which Charlie noticed but couldn’t comment on because Rachel spoke up.

“Just an upset stomach. It had me in the bathroom most of the morning but I think it has settled down now.” She gave a nod as she explained, giving Quinn a look right into her eyes so hopefully she would pick up on the lie she had told to explain her absence that morning.

“Just don’t eat too much and upset your stomach anymore.” Charlie said with a nod “Mom won’t be offended if you don’t eat a lot.”

Rachel gave a soft smile “I’m actually feeling my appetite coming back so we will see how it goes.” She glanced at Charlie with a smile, then Quinn with a frown, then down to her food with a sigh.

Quinn felt her gut twist with guilt. She was so selfish why couldn’t she just tell her sister where Rachel really had been? She wouldn’t be upset, right? She cared about her friend. She was worried over her being sick all morning so she would obviously be happy if her friend was happy, right?

“Here’s your tea sweetheart” Judy came back with a teacup on a saucer and set it in front of Rachel. She patted her head then sat back down. “Oh, Quinnie!” She grinned when she noticed her other daughter joining her “About time you joined us. Now if we could get Dana down here it would be something of a family lunch!”

“Good luck with that” Charlie mumbled “I don’t think she went to bed until a few hours ago so she won’t be up until evening time.”

Judy shook her head and made a tsk sound with her tongue against her teeth “That girl needs an attitude adjustment. She is living her life all wrong.”

“She’s happy, leave her alone” Quinn mumbled softly from where she was stabbing at her food.

“I will not” Judy huffed “She is on a wrong path in life. I can only imagine all the drugs she is getting into. I am surprised she isn’t in jail or pregnant.”

Charlie rolled her eyes at that “Mom Dana has good grades. Just leave her alone.”

“Stop telling me how to parent!”

“Stop pretending you care” Quinn said with a growl and got up from the table. “You have good kids who work their butts off to impress you and you don’t care! But the second they do something you don’t approve of you are on them like you’ve been around this entire time! You don’t care unless there is a chance for you to put us down. I’ve never once heard you tell us we’ve done well. You only tell us when we are messing up!”

“Quinn Fabray you will not talk to me like that” Judy folded her arms and motioned to the stairs “Go to your room and think about your attitude with me!”

“No” Quinn slammed her chair into the table and shook her head “You should think about your attitude with us. You are lucky we’re not all fuck ups. You are lucky we get good grades. But you don’t care about that. All you care about is that we fit your perfect little image. That’s all you’ve ever cared about and if one of us steps out of line you treat us like a leper.”

“Quinn, watch your mouth young la-“

“Shut up! I am sick of being your perfect little doll. I am sick of doing everything to please you and be your picture perfect daughter. You have no idea how hard it is to put you first, put your approval ahead of myself and my own needs. I applaud Dana for doing it. She’s not afraid to be herself. If you should be proud of any of us, it should be her! She is the strongest, smartest, and bravest of us all but all you see is her pink hair and her ripped clothes and think she isn’t worthy of your love. You’re wrong, you are the one that’s not worthy of her love.”

“Quinn” Charlie stood up, going to her sister and putting a hand on her sister’s arm trying to calm her. “It’s okay, just walk away.”

Quinn ripped her arm away from her sister and looked at her mother with tears in her eyes “Dana is happy and she is in love with Brittany and I hope that makes you sick because it makes me happy! Oh and Charlie went on a date with Santana last night! Yep, another girl. Oh and guess what? I think I’m in love with Rachel.” She pushed away from Charlie now and stormed up the steps, stopping a few stairs up and turning back to yell “How perfect are your big gay children now?” 

Charlie’s jaw dropped as she watched her sister storm up the stairs and out of sight, slamming the door when she reached her room. She turned slowly and she couldn’t decide who to look at first. She saw the look of complete horror in her mother’s eyes and then she saw a look on Rachel’s face of shock and awe. She bit her lip and reached out to grab Rachel’s hand, pulling her out of her chair before turning to her mom and shaking her head “You have a lot to think about.” She bit back a laugh then lead her friend up the steps to her bedroom. 

“I..” Rachel shook her head as she walked into the room, Charlie closing the door behind them.

“Holy crap” Charlie said with a laugh, pointing to the door with a grin on her lips “Did that just happen? Did Quinn, of all people, just put our mother in her place?”

Rachel blinked a little bit and nodded her head a little before shrugging “I don’t know what just happened, actually.”

“My sister just kicked some major ass is what just happened!” She was absolutely giddy about this. “I mean, I’m not even mad that she totally just outed Dana and, I guess, myself to our mom. That was awesome.” She let out a chuckle then sat on the edge of the bed. Something dawned on her and she looked at Rachel and lifted her hand toward her friend “Wait, did she say she was in love with you?”

Rachel blinked and shook her head “I think so but I also thought I was delusional and dreamt the whole thing.” She bit her lip, her eyes on the floor as she thought about it for a moment, before her eyes lifted and she looked at her friend “You heard that too, right?”

“Oh yeah” Charlie said with a nod “Consider my mind blown. Who knew?”

Rachel laughed out a breath and nodded “Who knew?” She repeated.

“Why don’t you seem more shocked about this confession?” Charlie arched an eyebrow curiously at her friend.

Rachel took in a deep breath, biting her lower lip, feeling all the guilt from having kept this from her friend. She motioned to the bed and shrugged a little “It’s a good thing you’re sitting.”

Rachel took the next several minutes to recount the entire story between Quinn and herself. The tension, the awkwardness, the moments of electricity that led up to the kiss. The closet, the note, how every time Quinn convinced herself she could do it, she then quickly talked herself out of it. All of the stolen moments, how they had made out the night before, and how she had woken up with Quinn that morning.  She held nothing back, finally able to unload it all on her best friend since, well, the cat was out of the bag.

Charlie was stunned, to say the least. She stared at Rachel with her mouth gapping open for a long time as she tried to process it all. After a few moments she let out a laugh and pointed toward the door “You and Quinn?”

Rachel nodded quickly and shrugged a little “I know it’s weird huh?”

“My mind is completely boggled.” Charlie said with a slow shake of her head “Quinn, of all people, having feelings for you, of all people.”

“Hey” Rachel grumbled.

“You know what I mean” Charlie said with a laugh. Rachel flopped down on her back and Charlie kept her eyes on the door. The last twenty four hours had been a lot to process and she was still trying to get a grasp on it all. After a few minutes of silence between them, Charlie turned and looked at where Rachel was laying back on the bed “Are you going to go talk to her?”

Rachel sat up and had a bit of a panic in her eyes “I wouldn’t even know what to say! Just this morning I was scolding her for wanting to hide from her family and how frustrated I was that she couldn’t just be with me and now this? For all I know she is blaming me for forcing her hand!”

“Have you ever known Quinn to be forced into anything?” Charlie said with a laugh “Besides, she’s hated my mother for as long as I could remember. She blames her for everything, rightfully so. This was just destined to happen.” She gave a shrug and patted Rachel’s leg with a smile “Go talk to her. I bet she could use you right now. She is probably freaking out.”

“You think?” Rachel bit her lip and her eyes flickered to glance at the door.

Charlie nodded and motioned to the door. “Just go, Rachel. I can guarantee that the only person she wants to see is you.”

Rachel took a deep breath and stared at the door a moment more before nodding and getting to her feet. She let the breath out slowly then looked at Charlie with a smile “Thanks.” She turned and reached out for the door knob to open it, pausing for a moment to look back at her friend with an unsure gaze “Is it weird? Your sister and I?”

Charlie shook her head and shrugged “Not any weirder than Santana and I. Besides if she hurts you it just gives me permanent reason to miss every lame dinner party she throws as an adult. ” She let out a laugh and motioned for Rachel to go “Just stop stalling and go!”

Rachel laughed and gave a shake of her head before pulling the door open and stepping into the hallway. She glanced around, almost as if she were being watched even though she was pretty sure Judy had left after Quinn had stormed off and Charlie had told her she had a lot to think about. Still she glanced around and when the coast was clear she padded down the hallway to the perfect white door of Quinn Fabray’s room. It was symbolic of everything the girl stood for, really. It was solid and strong, no dirt or dings or scratches to be seen, and it guarded her from the world. 

Rachel hesitated outside for a moment. Who was she to knock on that door and force the girl to be unguarded and let her in? Maybe she needed it. Maybe she needed someone to break down the perfect door that her overbearing parents had built. She needed someone to free her from those expectations and show her that she could be herself and still be someone to be proud of. Charlie was proud of her. No doubt Dana would be proud of her when she heard. And Rachel was proud of her. 

She smiled at that thought and lifted her hand, rapping with her knuckles a few times lightly on the pristine white door. She drew in a deep breath and held it, biting her lower lip and staring at the door knob as she waited for Quinn to open up for her.


	12. Three words are so hard to say

Every second that passed standing outside Quinn’s door, the higher and higher Rachel’s heart rate went. Her hand was shaking as she lifted it to knock again. She wasn’t sure if she should knock. There was no way Quinn hadn’t heard her knock. So what was taking so long? Shouldn’t she have yelled at her to go away if she hadn’t wanted to talk to her? Wait, had she said who it was? Did she think it was her mom or one of her sisters checking up on her?

“Q-Quinn?” Rachel stuttered, clearing her throat and lifting her hand to place another soft knock to the white wooden door in front of her. “It’s me, Rachel. Can I, um, come in?” She bit her lower lip and watched her hand drop in front of her as she listened. She hoped to hear any sign of life, any sign that Quinn wanted her to come inside. At this point, any sign that Quinn was in there and hadn’t climbed out her window to run away to the circus or something was a good sign.

She swallowed a huge lump in her throat and twisted her hands together nervously as she stared at the door. She was trying to see through it. She was almost willing it to disintegrate in front of her so she could step inside the room and see Quinn. She wasn’t even sure what she would say at this point all she wanted to do was see her. She knew that if she could see her then the words could flow. At least she hoped because what would happen if she walked in there and choked up? What if she didn’t know what to say? Should she be preparing a speech? She should definitely have something planned out to say. Quinn wasn’t answering the door, maybe she should take the time to prepare something. Yes, she definitely should.

Just as she was turning to leave, flee even, she heard the door knob turn and the door click open. She paused a half a step away and turned around on her heels. When she saw Quinn standing in the slightly ajar door, her heart leaped into her throat and she gave her a little half smile. “Um, hi.” She let out a sigh and shook her head “I wasn’t leaving, I’m sorry. I thought you wanted to be left alone and even I can take a hint so I was just going to step away for a little bit and give you some time to be alone and-“

“Rachel” Quinn’s voice was hoarse when she spoke to cut off the girl’s rambling. She looked her up and down and could tell she was nervous and she wondered why. She smiled a little bit and pulled the door open a little further, motioning for Rachel to go ahead and step inside the room. 

Rachel had to fight her excitement and hide her smile by biting her bottom lip. She nodded quickly and stepped past Quinn and into her bedroom. It was weird to think that just that very morning she had been hiding in her bed and now things were so different.

When Quinn shut the door and turned to face Rachel it became more apparent to Rachel that she had been crying. She tried to smile through it as she stepped toward the bed and motioned for Rachel to sit while she stepped around to the open space in her room where she had obviously been pacing.

Rachel watched the girl and frowned when she saw her puffy eyes and worried expression.  Rachel twisted her hands together nervously and tried to give her a smile when she looked up but she really didn’t know if it would help. She didn’t know anything that would help, really. She was beginning to realize the impact of what Quinn had done. This was going to change so many things for the girl. Change them between her parents, between her sisters, and possibly between them. 

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but Quinn cut her off “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I just…”

“Quinn you don’t have to explain” Rachel gave her a soft smile when their eyes met. “If anyone knows what it’s like to just have words spew from their mouth, it’s me. I have a tendency to talk and talk and talk and not shut up. I think it annoys people but most of the time I think I talk so much that they forget they are annoyed and just walk away or cut me off.”

“I hadn’t noticed” Quinn said with a smirk on her lips. She had to admit that Rachel being so nervous at the moment was adorable. She had no reason to be and yet here she was. Facing her nervousness, possibly her fears, all to comfort her? It was sweet. It was one of the things she liked so much about her. 

Rachel gave her a smile at the light hearted joke and let out a soft sigh. Quinn joking was a good sign, right? She took a deep breath and calmed herself so she wouldn’t ramble any more. When she looked up at Quinn again she saw the girl watching and she wondered what about her could be so interesting at the moment. “What are you looking at?”

Quinn blushed and looked away, shrugging and turning so her back was to Rachel. She paced over to her dresser and picked up a picture of her and her sisters from when they were ten. She slid a finger over their faces before shaking her head and setting it down. She took a deep breath and turned to face her again, giving another shrug. “I’ve been hiding in here trying to make up an excuse for everything I said or trying to laugh it off like I didn’t mean it but I did. I meant every single word and when I get to the part…” She licked her lips and looked up Rachel, taking a deep breath and shrugging “I realize I meant that the most.”

Rachel’s throat suddenly felt dry and she nodded her head a little, squeaking when she spoke “About you being in love with me?” 

Quinn nodded slowly then looked down to her hands where they tangled in her shirt. She took a deep breath and slowly let out a sigh before whispering “Yeah.”

Rachel swallowed and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.  She couldn’t fight the smile that came to her lips. She had meant it. Quinn Fabray was in love with her. Or at least she thought she was? Wait, which was it? She got up from the bed and slowly moved over to Quinn, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay.” She gave her a smile “I’m glad you meant it.” There, that didn’t sound too pushy or clingy, right?

Quinn looked over to the hand on her shoulder and slowly, timidly, her hand lifted to lie on top of her fingers. She smiled slowly, her eyes lifting until she found Rachel’s gaze watching her fingers. She pulled in a shaky breath and let it out slowly, her fingers wrapping around Rachel’s and giving them a soft squeeze. “I’m sorry it came out like that. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have, I don’t know, talked to you about it or something. You must feel so…” She shrugged, not really sure what the word would be.

“Relieved” Rachel whispered. When Quinn arched an eyebrow at that, Rachel let out a soft laugh. “I just mean that I am glad to hear you don’t hate me or blame me for something like making you uncomfortable or whatever.”

“You’ve never made me feel uncomfortable.” Quinn said quickly, pulling Rachel’s hand from her shoulder and holding it tightly between both her hands. “I’m sorry I’ve ever made you think that you have.”

“I tend to blame myself for everything” Rachel said quickly, her tiny hand squeezing Quinn’s in return. “I just assume everyone has negative feelings toward me. It explains why I am constantly shoved or teased or laughed at. No one really likes me.”

“I do” Quinn said softly, her green eyes filled with honesty as they bore into Rachel’s. “I’ve always liked you.”

“Always?” Rachel asked with an air of disbelief.

Quinn nodded quickly and drew in a sharp breath “I’ve always liked you. I’ve always admired how driven and self-focused you are. You know who you are and what you want and it’s hard not to admire that.”

“You’ve always been so mean.” Rachel’s brow creased, shaking her head a little. “Why?”

“Because I was jealous.” Quinn shrugged and dropped Rachel’s hand, stepping around her, starting to pace near her bed again “Because I wished I could be that confident.” She looked up at her and shook her head, her voice trembling “Because I was afraid.”

“Of what?” Rachel shrugged “I’m not popular, not attractive, annoying. Everyone hates me. What is there to be afraid of?”

“You” Quinn snapped, but her voice was soft so it wasn’t harsh. “The way I felt about you.”

Rachel blinked quickly and stepped back with a shake of her head. Her hands dropped to her side and she lifted her shoulders with a shrug “How did you feel?”

Quinn let out a heavy sigh, one of frustration really. “I told you.”

“No” Rachel shook her head and took another step toward Quinn now, trying to be strong about “You told your mother.”

“But you heard” Quinn squeaked out, fear in her eyes now as she realized what Rachel was getting at. She wasn’t sure if she could say it again, not face to face, not in a setting so intimate.

“So did Charlie. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the neighborhood did, too. Quinn, you were shouting.” She crossed her arms and gave her head a shake “No one wants to hear that for the first time when it’s being shouted to a room full of people in a fit of rage.”

“I’m sorry, okay” Quinn growled now, turning and sitting on the edge of the bed. She cupped her face in her hands, fighting off a wave of frustrated tears “Rachel I never meant for it to come out like that.”

“How did you imagine it?” Rachel asked softly, stepping closer, still determined to push Quinn just one more step forward. She stood in front of her and swallowed the lump forming in her throat “Please just talk to me.”

“Rachel” Her head shook and she lifted her eyes from out of her hands to look at the girl “I can’t. I can’t say it to you. Don’t you get it? That’s why what happened in the kitchen happened. Because I wasn’t brave enough to tell you, I wasn’t brave enough to accept it.”

“So you’ve already told me” Rachel said with a shrug, moving now to sit next to her on the bed. Her hand lifted to lie on Quinn’s back but hesitated for a moment before gently her palm slid against her back and came to rest there. “It’s already out in the open. Everyone already knows. There’s no big revelation or secret about it. It’s common knowledge.” She gave a little smile and shrugged her shoulders “So it shouldn’t be too hard to say it again right?”

Quinn arched an eyebrow and looked at Rachel curiously. She eyed her up and down for a moment then shrugged her shoulders and let out a little laugh “You’d think so but you’re sitting next to me and touching me and looking at me and it’s actually incredibly hard.”

“It doesn’t have to be” Rachel said with a sweet smile, her hand moving up and down her back, hopefully offering some comfort. 

“And how in the world do you suggest I make it easier?” Quinn sighed, closing her eyes a little bit “I’m terrified just sitting next to you.”

Rachel gave a little smile and shrugged her shoulder. She looked at Quinn for a moment then nodded “Just do what I do” She whispered. When Quinn gave her a questioning look, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was easy to tell she was mentally preparing herself and after a few deep breaths through the nose her eyes fluttered open and landed on Quinn’s face. A warm smile spread over her features automatically and she gave a nod “The first day of freshman year, you walked into my second period class and everyone in the room stopped to stare at you. You weren’t head cheerleader yet but you still got the attention as if you were. Everyone in that room either wanted you or wanted to be you.”

“That’s ridiculous” Quinn said with a laugh.

“It’s the truth” Rachel said “Now shush, I’m not finished.” She gave Quinn a pat on the knee which caused the girl to laugh and motion for her to continue. She took a deep breath and nodded before going back to her story. “You walked with your head high and didn’t give a single person a glance. It was as if you owned the room already. But on your way passed me to your desk, your eyes flickered to the side and you met my eyes. I saw the corner of your mouth lift into a smile and for the split second before your eyes lifted back above everyone else, I felt special.” Rachel gave a soft smile at the memory then shrugged and slid her hand against Quinn’s knee where it had come to rest after the pat “And that is how you make me feel.”

“Special?” Quinn asked softly, giving her head a shake. “Is that it?”

“Well, no” Rachel said with a shy smile “But that was an example! I took a moment that we shared and described how you made me feel. It’s easy. It can be something that simple. You should try it.”

Quinn stared at her for a few moments, not really sure if she could do it. Could it really be that simple? But when Rachel’s eyebrows lifted and her head nodded in encouragement, she rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. She looked down at Rachel’s hand on her knee and searched her brain for all the memories that she had of Rachel. She knew the moment Rachel had spoke of, she remembered it well. A smile came to her lips and she decided to cheat and use the memory as well. “My first day of freshman year, I walked into second period…”

“Cheater!” Rachel said with a soft laugh, but she didn’t demand she change her story. Instead she just gave her knee a squeeze “Go on.”

Quinn laughed and reached out to cover Rachel’s hand against her knee. “I hate History and immediately I didn’t want to be there. I had to find something that would help me get through this class. I needed something interesting, someone fun, or someone who would distract me from the lectures and endless notes. Anything really.” She gave a shrug and looked up at Rachel “I passed this girl on my way to my seat. She was the only one who was trying not to look at me. But when I passed, she looked.” She gave a little smirk, biting at her lower lip slightly “When our eyes met I felt like she was someone I wanted to know. I spent the next year and a half watching her because she made me feel.”

When Quinn ended it there, Rachel perked an eyebrow and shook her head “Feel what?” Rachel whispered in a shaky breath.

Quinn shrugged “Anything. Everything. You just made me feel. For the first time in my life I was feeling something.”

“Really?” Rachel’s voice squeaked a little and she cleared her throat, letting out a laugh “From the first day?”

Quinn nodded her head, lifting her hand now and running her thumb over Rachel’s cheek gently “From the first day.” She repeated in a whisper that was barely audible. 

“Quinn” Rachel whispered, shaking her head as her brown eyes stared into Quinn’s green ones. She bit her lip and took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She smiled and her eyes started to water with the over whelming emotion racing through her. She reached for Quinn’s hand again and took a hold of it tightly as a tear trickled down her cheek. She gave the girl a shaky smile and nodded her head as another tear slid from her eye “I love you, too.”

“You do?” Quinn gasped and immediately was over taken with tears. When Rachel nodded, a sob left her lips and she leaned in on instinct and pressed a tight kiss to Rachel’s lips. A spark shot through her body to her core and she knew it was true. Rachel did love her and she loved Rachel. She had known it and been denying it but she couldn’t any longer. Her world was about to change and she couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

Rachel had been caught off guard by the kiss and when it broke a few moments later she pulled back and wiped at her eyes as she blinked away a few tears. She offered a shy smile and nodded her head slowly as she licked over her lips to sweep up the taste of Quinn’s kiss into her mouth. “I do.”

Quinn smiled, lifting a hand to her own cheek now to wipe at a tear that had escaped her eye. She sniffled in deeply and let out a soft laugh that was mixed with a cry, nodding briskly before she managed to choke out a soft “I love you too.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“What are you doing?” Dana yawned, rubbing at one of her eyes as she stumbled down the hallway. Her pink hair was messed up and sticking in every direction and her mascara from the night before was smudged around her eyes.

“Shhh” Charlie hissed, putting her finger to her lips and pointing to the door “Quinn and Rachel are in there alone.”

Dana’s eyes opened widely and she stared at the door. She pointed toward it and a little smirk came to her lips “What are they doing in there?”

“Oh god” Charlie curled her lip and reached out to push at Dana in disgust “Not that! Why would you even think that?”

Dana let out a knowing laugh and gave a shrug “Then what else would they be doing in there?”

“You are sick. Not everyone is sex obsessed like you! Besides, Quinn just confessed her love for her while at the same time calling mom out on all her shit so I doubt that put her in the mood.”

“Wait, what?” Dana’s jaw dropped and she grabbed Charlie’s shoulder, giving it a shake “Back up because you just dropped a shit load of info on me. What happened, Charlie!”

Charlie let out a sigh and laughed a little. She spent the next few minutes recalling everything that had happened in the kitchen, complete with hand gestures and facial expressions. She told Dana about how Rachel wasn’t surprised and the entire story of them sneaking off to make out. “Wait, why don’t you look surprised?” Charlie asked when Dana just stood there with a smirk on her lips.

Dana let out a laugh and shook her head “I caught Rachel crying in the bathroom a week or so ago. She totally spilled the beans about Quinn.”

Charlie’s jaw dropped and she looked at the door with a scowl. She shook her head and crossed her arms with a huff “She didn’t even tell me! I’m her best friend!”

“You have also been completely engrossed in this whole Santana thing. Plus she didn’t want to say anything and have you say something to Quinn and freak her out.” Dana shrugged a bit “But, holy shit, Quinn freaked out on mom? Why do I always miss the good shit?”

“Because you sleep your day away.” Charlie rolled her eyes in annoyance “I can’t believe she told you.”

“I caught her crying and forced her to tell me” Dana returned the eye roll “Don’t be so selfish and let’s focus on the important thing. Quinn told mom off.”

“And she loves Rachel” Charlie said with a nod.

“Yeah yeah” Dana waved that off and let out a laugh “That’s been obvious for nearly two years.”

“What?” Charlie huffed and shook her head “You’re nuts.”

“Please” Dana rolled her eyes “Have you seen the way Quinn looks at her? She’s been in love with the girl the entire time. Why do you think she never complained to mom about her spending the night all the time?”

“Because she always had Santana and Brittany over? I didn’t think she cared.” Charlie shrugged a little.

“Please” Dana rolled her eyes “You are so clueless.” She let out a laugh and shook her head “So how did mom react?”

“Oh my god, I don’t know! I pulled Rachel from her seat, told her she should think about what Quinn had said, and we went upstairs. Apparently she has gone somewhere else because she isn’t here.”

Dana laughed out and clapped her hands together. “That is so fucking awesome. Quinn is my hero. I’m going to kiss her so hard when she comes out, if she comes out.” She motioned to the door and smirked “How long have they been in there?”

Charlie shrugged “Forty-five minutes?”

“They are so getting it on” Dana said with a laugh “I bet you anything.”

“Don’t be so crude” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes “Quinn just confessed her love for Rachel, they are probably like crying and Quinn is probably making up excuses to what she really meant or something.”

“They’re doing it” Dana said with a nod.

“They are not” Charlie huffed, lifting her hand to knock on the door.

Dana grabbed her hand and stopped her, shaking her head and giving her a smirk “Leave them alone.”

“Dana you are delusional.” Charlie mumbled, pushing her away and turning to step toward her room. “You leave them alone.”

“I’m all for the lady loving” Dana said with a smirk, following her sister. “So let’s just wait and see.”

“They are just talking.” Charlie rolled her eyes and gave Dana another shove. “I can’t believe she told you and not me.”

Dana laughed and shoved her back “Well maybe if you weren’t so judgmental.”

“I’m not!” Charlie huffed “If she’s happy I’m happy.”

“Yeah right. Maybe you should get laid too so she won’t be afraid to tell you about what her and Quinn are in there doing right now” Dana said with a laugh, dodging a swat from Charlie. “Hey I’m just saying! She is going to be too shy to tell you!”

“They are not having sex! Will you stop saying that?”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Tell me it’s true” Santana said as soon as she walked into Charlie’s room, laughing softly with Dana right behind her.

“Santana” Charlie looked up from the book she was reading, looking confused “What are you doing here?”

“Dana called me and told me what happened so I came right over. Is it true?” She plopped down on the bed next to Charlie and looked up at her pink haired friend with a smirk.

“It’s true” Charlie said with a little nod, putting a bookmark in her book and setting it aside. “Quinn totally freaked on my mom.”

“Not that part” Santana laughed, giving Charlie a nudge with her elbow “I mean that part is awesome, but I mean the part about Quinn being in love with Berry?”

“Oh” Charlie said with a shrug and gave a little nod “Yeah I guess so. I mean she said it and then Rachel went over there to talk to her and they have been in there for over an hour so my guess is they are talking about that. Neither one has left crying so it has to be true right?”

“Holy shit” Santana said with a laugh.

“I know right?” Dana let out a laugh and plopped down on the bed next to Santana. “Quinn of all people!”

“Berry of all people” Santana said with a laugh, glancing at Charlie with a shrug “No offense but your friend is weird.”

“Hey she and I are a lot alike.” Charlie folded her arms with a huff.

“Maybe but you are at least cute” Santana smirked, giving Charlie a nudge before sliding her arm around her waist and leaning in to kiss her cheek lightly which caused Charlie to blush.

“I don’t know Berry’s not bad” Dana said with a shrug. “Have you seen her legs? Girl has a set of stems for someone so short.”

“Tell me you are not serious!” Charlie crunched her face up in disgust.

“No, she’s right” Santana said with a shrug “She does have a set of legs. Pretty decent ass, too.”

“You too?” Charlie grumbled, pushing Santana’s arm off her “Why don’t you two pervs just go check out my best friend some more!”

“Oh don’t be sore” Santana said with a laugh, sliding her arm back around her. “I was being nice.”

“I was being a perv” Dana said with a raise of her hand “But you don’t have to worry about me. I have Britt, for one, and Quinn is the one fondling Rachel right now. You’re disgust is directed at the wrong sister.”

“She is not fondling her!” Charlie huffed.

“She might be” Santana said with a shrug. “It has been over an hour.”

“Oh my god” Charlie rolled her eyes and got off the bed with a shake of her head. “I am going over there and proving you both wrong.”

Dana lifted her hand to stop her sister then stopped and let out a laugh “Fine, go. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Charlie rolled her eyes and stormed down the hallway to Quinn’s room. She lifted her hand and paused for a moment. What if they were right? What if they were in there getting it on? No that was stupid. She let out a sigh and let her hand beat against the door a few times in a light knock.

Dana and Santana were both huddled near the door of Charlie’s room, watching her down the hall with smiles on their faces.

Charlie stuck out her tongue and folded her arms, looking back at the door. After a moment of no answer she perked an eyebrow and slowly lifted her hand again to knock a few more times “Quinn? Rachel? It’s Charlie.”

“I knew it” Dana said with a whisper, stepping out of the room and sneaking over to Quinn’s door, Santana following right behind her. She put an ear to the wall and nodded a little bit “They probably stopped now that you knocked.”

“Shut up” Charlie rolled her eyes and reached for the doorknob. She twisted it and was actually surprised when it opened. Slowly she pushed the door open and the three of them leaned across the doorjam to look into the room. What they were greeted with was a surprise to say the least.

“They’re asleep” Santana whispered, letting out a soft laugh.

“And clothed. Damn.” Dana shook her head and looked a little disappointed.

“I told you” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes then pushed Dana back so she could pull the door closed. She folded her arms and looked at the two of them with a satisfied told you so look on her face. “Now shoo, let them sleep. They’ve had a busy morning.”

“Could have been busier” Dana said with a shrug, looking rather disappointed at that fact.

“Gross” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes and pushed Dana away. She looked at Santana and smiled “So did you come over just to hear about Quinn or do you have time to hang out?”

Santana bit her lip and gave Charlie a little nudge “We can totally hang out. I mean people say you’re supposed to wait a day after a date to call someone but I’m all about breaking the rules.” 

Charlie blushed at that and the two shared a little giggle. Dana rolled her eyes and shook her head “Gross. You two have fun.” She turned and went into her own room while Charlie and Santana giggled their way into Charlie’s room.

“I can’t believe you and Dana thought they were having sex” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes as she closed the door to her room behind them. She looked at Santana with a little smirk then stepped away to go sit on her bed.

“Is it so weird to think of your sister as a sexual creature?” Santana shrugged and walked over to the bed as well. She sat next to Charlie and gave her a nudge with her shoulder.

“Yes!” Charlie said with a laugh “As well as my best friend! I mean, we are barely sixteen, there is no way we are ready for that kind of thing.”

“We?” Santana asked with a perked eyebrow “I thought we were talking about Rachel and Quinn.”

Charlie blushed a little and looked down at her hands “I meant teenagers at this age I guess.”

“I think you meant you” Santana said softly, sliding her hand along Charlie’s back “And I want you to know that I’m alright with that.”

“What are you talking about?” Charlie looked shocked and shook her head “You are alright that I don’t want to hear about my sister and my best friend having sex?”

“No” Santana said with a soft smile “I’m telling you that I’m alright with the fact that you aren’t ready to have sex.”

“I” Charlie blushed again and shook her head, turning her eyes down to her hands. She took a deep breath and let it out with a forced laugh “You’re crazy. I haven’t even thought about that. Like, we’ve had one date” She made a ‘pfft’ sound and looked up at Santana with a shake of her head.

“It’s okay” Santana said softly, lifting her hand now to push some of Charlie’s blonde hair behind her ear “It’s okay that you have thought about it, it’s alright if you aren’t ready, and it’s totally cool to tell me that.”

“It is?” Charlie asked with a soft squeak in her voice.

“Of course.” Santana said with a shrug, her thumb running over Charlie’s cheek with a grin “Why wouldn’t it be alright?”

Charlie shrugged and bit her lower lip. She lifted her eyes to Santana and just shook her head.

She didn’t have to say anything. Santana could see it in her eyes. She gave a little nod and put a hand on her back, rubbing it lightly “I get it. I have a reputation and you were afraid that if you didn’t put out then I would get bored with you.”

Charlie didn’t want to admit it. She felt ashamed just thinking that. Her chin dropped and she let out a sigh. She shrugged her shoulders “I’m sorry.”

“Hey” Santana shook her head, lifting her hand to her chin and pulling it up until she could find her eyes again. She gave her a soft smile and ran her thumb over her chin “Look we all have reservations. We’re all afraid to get hurt and put ourselves out there in certain ways. I get it, you didn’t want to get too involved and lose me because you weren’t ready.” She smiled softly “But look I’m still here.”

Charlie managed a small smile and nodded her head “So you’re not mad?”

“Mad? Why in the world would I be mad?”

“I don’t know” Charlie sighed “Because I’m not ready and I know how much you like sex.”

“Yes, I like sex” Santana said with a soft laugh “But I also really like this girl who isn’t ready to have sex so I’m going to wait because I know she will be worth the wait.”

Charlie bit her lip to fight a smile. Her eyes lifted and his met Santana’s eyes with a little nod “You want to wait?”

“Of course” Santana whispered, leaning in now to touch a kiss to Charlie’s lips, soft and sweet. “Besides if I’m being honest I’m not ready either.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes.

Santana laughed and gave her head a shake “No I’m serious. You terrify me. I don’t think I have the confidence to even attempt that yet so…” She shrugged and kissed Charlie again on the lips just once “Waiting is perfect.”

“You’re scared?” Charlie asked with a little laugh “Of sex?”

“Of you” Santana said with a nod “And everything that comes along with you. I want to do it right. I want everything to be special and rushing things just doesn’t feel right.” She took Charlie’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze “I want to do things differently.”

Charlie nodded slowly as a smile took over her features. She let out a happy sigh and a soft laugh “I am so glad to hear you say that because I’ve been so worried about this. I’m so not ready for sex and I thought when you found out you would dump me or something.”

“Dump you?” Santana questioned with a smirk.

“Yeah, you know, get rid of me once I was no use to you.”

Santana let out a laugh “I know what dump means. But it implies that I have something to break off.”

Charlie blushed and her shoulder lifted in a shy shrug “I just meant, you know, if we continued to go on dates and hang out that you would stop that once you knew I wasn’t ready. It’s not like I meant we were girlfriend or anything.”

“You didn’t?” Santana eyed her suspiciously.

Charlie shook her head quickly and let out a nervous laugh “No of course not! Its way too soon for that right?”

Santana shrugged and let out a sigh “It’s too bad because I was kind of hoping you did mean it that way.”

“Really?” Charlie’s eyes went as wide as silver dollars and the look of shock on her face was unmistakable. “You…you want to like be my girlfriend?”

Santana let out a laugh and nodded her head “Like, totally.”

Charlie swatted at Santana’s shoulder and shook her head with a giggle “Don’t mock me! I was shocked!”

“It was adorable” Santana leaned in and touched a kiss to Charlie’s lips before shaking her head and pulling back “So is that a yes?”

Charlie nodded eagerly. She bit her lip to fight off a giggle and let out a happy sigh instead “Like, totally.”

Santana laughed again and they both leaned in now. Santana cupped Charlie’s face gently, holding her in a soft kiss. Charlie’s hands laid over Santana’s and she smiled against the kiss. The two of them shared a long, lingering kiss until finally Charlie pulled back. She bit at her bottom lip shyly and let out another soft giggle “I totally just snagged one of the hottest girls in school. Does that make me a stud?”

Santana lost it at that. She fell back onto the bed in a fit of raucous laughter. Her hands circled her stomach that began to hurt from all the laughing she was doing. That was one of the funniest things she had ever heard.

“Such a great girlfriend!” Charlie said with a huff “You are supposed to be good for my confidence, not laugh in my face!”

“I’m sorry!” Santana laughed out, wiping her eye and sitting up. She was grinning ear to ear and still giggling as she looked at the girl “I’m sorry but that was hilarious. Those were like the last words I ever expected to come out of your mouth!”

Charlie pouted and folded her arms, turning her back to Santana.

“Aww hey” Santana giggled, reaching out to grab her shoulder and turn her enough to try and find her face. She leaned in and kissed her shoulder before setting her chin there and nodding as she looked up at her “Yes, Chuck, you are a stud. The studliest of studs who ever studded. I am so turned on by your studliness that it’s hard for me to contain my urges right now.”

“Shut up” Charlie whined, lifting her hand and pushing her palm right into Santana’s face until her chin slid off her shoulder, causing the girl to laugh all over again. 

Santana fell back on the bed, reaching her hand out to lightly touch at Charlie’s back “Come on don’t pout. Of course you’re a stud. I only date studs.”

“Shut up” Charlie huffed, lifting a pillow and swinging it so it hit Santana in the head. She smiled and turned around finally, moving now to lie down next to Santana. She propped her head up on her hand and lay on her side, her other hand sliding across Santana’s stomach. She grinned down at the girl and shook her head.

“What?” Santana asked with a smile, lifting her fingers and running them through Charlie’s hair.

“You’re my first girlfriend.” Charlie said with a shrug “My first significant other, actually. I am just soaking it in.”

Santana nodded slightly, her fingers still threading through her hair, playing with the hairs on the back of her neck “Are you enjoying what’s soaking in?”

Charlie nodded quickly and gave her a smile “Immensely.”  She leaned down and lightly touched her lips to Santana’s, letting out a happy sigh “Can you stay over tonight?”

Santana smiled, lifting her head enough to give a return kiss and nodded “Whatever you say, stud.”

Charlie groaned and closed her eyes, dropping her head to lie against Santana’s shoulder “Is that going to be my new nickname?”

“Mhm” Santana laughed, her hand sliding from Charlie’s neck to her back as she turned her head to place a kiss to the top of her head lightly “You brought it on yourself.”

“Kill me now.” Charlie mumbled through a laugh as her arm wrapped around her waist now and pulled so they were pressed tightly together.

“And let you off easy? No way” Santana kissed the top of her head then turned on her side and wrapped her arm around her waist as well. She smiled when their eyes met and gently she placed a kiss to her chin. “You tired?”

Charlie shook her head and smiled “Not exactly.”

“Wanna make out until you are?” 

Charlie let out a laugh and nodded a little bit “That sounds fun.” She leaned in and touched her lips to Santana’s lightly. Their lips brushed together a few times before she pressed them more firmly, parting them slightly and letting her tongue slide out to find Santana’s. A soft giggle left her lips as she rolled halfway onto Santana, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	13. Six versus two

Rachel’s eyes fluttered open and were greeted with the soft glow of early morning light. It was a gentle ambiance not unlike the one in Charlie’s room in the morning but with a slight difference. Quinn. She was in bed with Quinn again. This time instead of freaking out a smile came to her lips as her head rolled to the side to see the girl next to her. Everything that had happened the morning before had flooded back to her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she was almost afraid she had dreamed it all. Her hand reached out slowly, needing to touch Quinn gently, to feel that this was all real. If her hand passed through Quinn or she woke before her fingers touched her skin she would know for sure it was a dream.

Just before her fingers brushed the soft awaiting skin of the sleeping Quinn there was a knock on the door. She turned her head and sat up, a smile on her lips at the sound. It was real. Nothing had faded at the knock of the door. Everything was still there, Quinn was still there, and another knock on the door signaled that she was wide awake. She bit her bottom lip to fight the goofy smile that wanted to take over as she slowly slid off the bed and approached the door.

“Q” Dana whispered as soon as the door had been cracked open. When she was greeted with a soft brown eye peeking out instead of the vibrant green one that matched her own she smiled and let out a laugh “Oh hey Rach. Is Quinn awake yet?”

Rachel just shook her head and opened the door a little more to show Dana that her sister was still in bed “I guess yesterday really took it out of her. I never knew she was such a deep sleeper.”

“Well as sweet as that revelation is, she needs to get up.” Dana pushed the door open wide and brushed past Rachel on her way to the bed. She gave Quinn a few shakes, trying to rouse her from sleep.

“Hey Rachel” A soft voice came from behind Rachel where she had turned to watch the sisters interact. She turned around and was greeted by soft blue eyes and a sweet smile “Good morning.”

“Brittany when did you get here?” Rachel asked with a grin, stepping out of the room now to offer the girl a soft hug.

“I came over last night. I didn’t think it was too late but when I got here Dana said everyone was asleep. Then she told me what happened and then we made out a little.” Brittany shrugged and a little bit of worry came to her face as the hug broke and she was face to face with Rachel again.

“What’s wrong?” Rachel asked softly with worry clouding her own features now as well.

“My mom’s back” Dana interrupted, brushing past them again, this time with a sleepy Quinn trailing behind “And she wants us in the kitchen now.”

“Oh” Rachel bit her lip then looked at Quinn. She fought a soft smile at the sight of Quinn’s messed up bed head. She reached out and gently stroked a hand through her hair to smooth it down a little “Morning, Quinn.”

Quinn yawned and gave her head a shake before her eyes focused on Rachel and she offered a sleepy smile “Hey” She mumbled in a froggy voice. She definitely was not a morning person.

“Yeah yeah, good morning, everyone’s gay and happy. Now let’s move!” Dana tugged on Quinn’s hand and the two headed toward Charlie’s room. Rachel stood with her hands held together in front of her, glancing at Brittany with an unsure shrug of her shoulders. The two girls just stood there, watching the sisters burst into Charlie’s room. After a few mumbled words and a really loud shout from Santana filled with colorful insults, Charlie came stumbling out of the room with the other two.

“What’s going on?” Santana followed them from the room in a hurry, pulling Charlie’s bathrobe around herself and tying it. Rachel perked an eyebrow at that but decided not to question it. Maybe she just liked robes.

“Look, my mom is back. She is waiting for us in the kitchen and she sounds super pissed.” Dana looked at all the girls then to her sisters “So let’s move.”

“All of us?” Brittany asked softly, glancing between the three disheveled sisters then to Santana, Rachel, and finally back to Dana.

Dana shook her head, giving a little shrug of her shoulders “She just told me to get my sisters. I have no idea what’s going on or if she even knew you guys were still here.”

“Well I’m going” Rachel said with a nod, stepping forward toward the girls “If she wants to be mad at you three, she can be mad at me. I am just as responsible for what Quinn did yesterday as she is.”

“Me too” Santana said with a shrug as her arms folded in front of her chest. She looked ridiculous in Charlie’s pink robe but no one said anything. “I mean she’s not my mom so it’s not like she can ground me or something. Besides what if she tried to cart you off to like anti-gay camp or something. I’m not letting that shit go down. Not on my watch.”

“Anti-gay camp?” Quinn arched an eyebrow and rolled her eyes “That’s ridiculous.”

“They exist” Santana said with a shrug “I saw it on t.v.”

“I want to come too” Brittany said with a quick nod and a smile. “They can’t take us all to gay camp without a fight!”

“Anti-gay” Rachel corrected her with a whisper “And they aren’t going to cart them off to anywhere.”

“Great” Dana said with a roll of her eyes “Let’s just go. If any of you sustain injuries from flying objects don’t say I didn’t warn you alright?” With that she shoved Quinn ahead of her and the six of them started down the steps and into the kitchen. When they walked in they were greeted by Judy sitting at the kitchen table and a man that was not their father sitting next to her. 

“I thought you said there were three of them?” The man whispered to Judy when he saw the group walk into the room.

“I have three daughters” Judy huffed with a roll of her eyes “The other three are their….” She shrugged and motioned a hand toward them and the man just nodded with understanding.

Rachel swallowed a lump that was forming in her throat and reached her hand out, sliding it into Quinn’s. She didn’t know why but she was terrified of what was going to happen. No one had ever spoken to Judy that way, especially not her own daughter. No one knew what was going to happen. But when Rachel felt Quinn’s fingers slide around hers and give a soft squeeze her fears were eased just slightly.

“Really mom?” Dana said with a laugh, motioning to the man with her hand “Pastor Adam?”

“Quiet” Judy snapped at her eldest daughter. Her jaw was set as she cast a disgusted glare at the six of them before shaking her head. “You will listen to what he has to say, you will do as you are told, and you will not argue or so help me God…”

“Help you what?” Dana snapped back and folded her arms across her chest, casting the same glare back to her mother “You going to throw us out? Beat us? Send us to gay camp?”

“Anti-gay” Rachel mumbled her correction but it wasn’t heard and didn’t really matter anyway.

“Dana, I am warning you.” Judy growled and her eye twitched with rage. Rachel was almost sure she saw a vein pop out on the side of her head.

“Girls” The man known as Pastor Adam broke in, feeling the tensions rising and feeling as though he could bring calm to the situation. “Your mother has called me in because she feels that a dire situation is taking place and we need to resolve it before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?” Quinn piped up now with a shake of her head.

“Too late for forgiveness.” The man said calmly, almost in a matter of fact tone.

“Oh Jesus” Dana mumbled with a roll of her eyes, looking back at her mother “Really? Instead of facing this like a real parent you call in the God Squad? And where the Hell is dad?”

“Language” Pastor Adam said softly.

“Your father is out of town on business, working hard to provide a nice life for you and your sisters. You would know this if you were ever home or awake. And this is how you repay him?” Judy’s hand motioned over the group again “Defiling the house he built to protect and raise you in?”

“Defiling?” Quinn asked with a laugh “Are you kidding me?” She looked at Rachel, then Santana and Charlie, who was kind of hiding behind Santana, then to Brittany and back to her mother “You have got to be kidding me, right?”

“Quinn your mother is concerned” Pastor Adam said with a soft nod “She loves you and doesn’t want to see you take the wrong path in life.”

“And what path would that be?” Quinn growled, stepping forward a bit and motioning behind her “The path of academic excellence? Because all of us are on the honor roll at school.” Brittany went to raise her hand to say she wasn’t but Dana caught it and kept it down with a shake of her head. “The path of extracurricular achievement?” Quinn continued with a shrug “Because B, San, and myself are leading the cheerleaders to several championships, Rachel is the star of our Glee club, Charlie is head of the photography club, and Dana started her own branch of the poetry club!”

“Q” Dana hissed, blushing when all of the girls looked at her in shock. Apparently no one knew that but Quinn. She looked at Santana and shook her head in silent denial. Santana just smirked and made a mental note to tease her for that later.

“We aren’t bad kids, mom!” Quinn was nearly shouting now, disgusted with what was happening “We have done everything for you, don’t you see that? We get good grades, we go to church every Sunday, and we are doing things to set ourselves up for successful careers in the future. You know how many parents would kill for that? How can you look at us and say we are on the wrong path?”

“Homosexuality is a sin!” Judy growled, slapping her hands on the table top as she stood and leaned over toward where Quinn was standing. It was the first time she had said it. It was the first time she had been faced with it. She was seething with rage, disgust, and disappointment and it showed on her face now.

“Judy” The pastor stepped between them and put a hand on her shoulder, motioning for her to sit back down. Once she had taken a seat he looked at the girls and gave a calm smile “You are all amazing young women with your whole life ahead of you. We are simply here to make sure you stay heading toward the life God has planned for you instead of steering off into….” He looked at Rachel and shrugged “temptations.”

“Oh bite me” Dana said and stepped between the man and Quinn. “You are all the same. Preaching about God and his love and how we should all be like him and love everyone equally for who they were made to be because we are all beautiful creatures. But as soon as that love goes outside your tiny cookie cutter mold of a mind you start trying to use God against us to make us feel shameful and immoral.”

“Child, the bible is very clear on this” The man was still keeping his cool as he faced Dana now with a nod. “There is no room to waiver on this.” He looked around at the girls and lifted his hand toward Charlie who was barely visible now from behind Santana. “Charlotte, my girl, please come forward.”

Everyone turned and looked at Charlie now. Everyone but Brittany. She tugged one Dana’s hand and lifted onto her toes to whisper in her ear “Who is Charlotte?”

“Charlie” Dana said with a soft laugh before looking back at her sister. Charlie looked unsure but the man urged so she slowly stepped around Santana, took a deep breath, and stepped a little closer to him.

The man smiled and took her hand, guiding her slowly over to an empty chair at the table and motioned for her to sit. He stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders before he looked at their mother with a nod. He looked down at Charlie and gave her shoulders a squeeze “Charlotte my dear do you believe in God and Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior?”

Charlie looked around at the girls then to her mother before she shrugged and nodded “Uh yeah.”

The man nodded and gave a smile before he closed his eyes. He lifted a hand now and held it over her head before he started to whisper to himself.

“What is he doing?” Dana asked, her eyes getting wide with horror. When neither the man nor her mother answered, she got angry and stepped forward, swatting his hand away from her sister “What the Hell are you doing!?”

“Dana Elizabeth Fabray you will not touch a man of God in such a way!” Judy barked at her daughter but the man just held out his hand toward her to stop her from standing again before turning to look at the pink haired girl with a sweet smile.

“My dear I am simply asking God to forgive her of her transgressions and lift the demons from her spirit so she can remain on the righteous path.”

“What?” Charlie’s eyes went wide and she turned in the chair, looking horrified. She shook her head and stood up now, her back to the table, trapped between the chair and the table. “Are you kidding me? You are insane. Have you actually read the bible? The language and vernacular are different than what we speak today. The way thoughts and sentences are structured could be translated into several different meanings today! We take from it what we choose to take from it. You have this all wrong.” She pushed the chair out of the way now and stepped away.

“Charlotte” The man reached for her but missed.

“No!” Charlie shouted, ripping her hand out of his reach before stepping back toward the group “Do you know what the bible says? That God is love. It is as simple as that and if you can’t understand all forms of love then maybe you are the ones who don’t understand God. He would never condemn his children for feeling the purest of all emotions. The greatest achievement in life is to find and have love in all forms and all strengths. One love is not the right love. Love does not come in black and white, there are shades of gray and red and blue and purple.” She smiled and reached out, taking Santana’s hand and giving it a squeeze “I’m looking forward to feeling and seeing all the colors of love and I’m sorry you will never experience that because I bet it’s beautiful!”

Quinn, Rachel, Dana, and Brittany were all staring at the girl now. They had various stages of shock and smiles on their faces. Quinn reached out and slid her arm around her sister, giving her a half hug the best she could with her still holding to Rachel’s hand and Charlie still holding to Santana’s hand. She looked back at the adults in front of them and let out a laugh “Trying to pick on the weakest? Just because she doesn’t talk back doesn’t mean she is weak. She’s stronger and smarter than all of us and you just got schooled.”

“Quinn Lucille Fabray” Judy growled again.

“No” Quinn said with a shake of her head “No you cannot scold us or punish us or scare us into seeing it your way. Charlie is right, you are the ones who need to be put back on the right path, not us.” She turned to Rachel and gave her hand a squeeze before tugging it a little and looking at the others “I don’t know about you all but I’ve heard enough.”

“I’m out of here” Dana said with a soft laugh, sliding her arm around Brittany and giving her a kiss on the side of the head before turning toward the steps.

“Girls get back here!” Judy yelled after them but none of them stopped. They all marched up the steps, two by two, like the animals on the Ark. This was a new ark, though. An ark filled with hope and love.

“Charlotte! Quinn! Dana!” Pastor Adam frantically tried to get them to return but it was no use. The girls disappeared up the steps and out of sight.

“Holy shit” Dana said with a laugh as the girls gathered in front of Quinn’s door since it was even distance between Charlie’s room and Dana’s room. “I can’t believe they tried to exercise our demons!”

“That was insane” Santana said with a laugh, turning to look at Charlie “And bad ass! I am totally rubbing off on you!”

“I have attitude, I am a Fabray after all, I just choose not to show it” Charlie let out a laugh and shrugged her shoulders.

“You should show it, it’s hot” Santana nudged the girl then let out a laugh “And your name is Charlotte?” 

Charlie let out a groan and rolled her eyes “It’s disgusting, I hate it.”

“It’s cute” Santana whispered, giving her hand a squeeze before she looked back at the others “If they try to send you to anti-gay camp you guys can totally come crash at my house. My dad had some medical conference and is out of town for a week.”

“Thanks San but I don’t think that will be necessary” Quinn said with a nod before glancing back toward the stairs and shaking her head “hopefully.”

“Either way, we got your back girls” Santana said with a nod. “We won’t let them take you away.”

“You can always stay at my place” Rachel said softly “We have guest rooms and a basement and my dads are always so busy they are never home and probably wouldn’t notice.”

Quinn gave a smile then nodded “We will cross that bridge if we ever come to it. But for now I think we might just want to lay low for the rest of the night and hope they leave us alone.”

“Agreed” Dana smiled and gave Brittany a squeeze “If anything happens you girls can come hide in my room. I have a deadbolt on the inside and my window leads right out to the garage roof so it’s really easy to escape if we need to.”

“So that’s how you do it” Charlie said with a laugh, shaking her head. Dana nodded proudly then pulled Brittany backward toward her room, giving a wave to the others. The girls broke off in pairs and all retired to the respective sister’s room. Hopefully it would be a few more days before Judy came up with another crazy plan to save her children. That would at least give them a few days of privacy. Hopefully.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“I can’t believe your mom tried to have your exercised” Santana mumbled with a soft laugh from where she was laying on the bed, flipping through the channels. When she realized that was absolutely nothing on she sighed and turned it off before rolling onto her side and looking at Charlie who was reading a book beside her. “Do you think she learned her lesson or do you think she is trying to figure out what to do next?”

Charlie just shrugged a little before turning the page in her book “My mom isn’t used to not getting her way so my guess is she is probably calling the Pope or the house of Cardinals or something to come do an emergency soul cleansing.” She thought about it for a moment then looked up from her book to the girl next to her “Maybe she’s looking into those anti-gay camps you were talking about.”

“Maybe she will just accept it and move on” Santana shrugged and reached out to grab the book Charlie was reading. She gave her a smirk when she was greeted with a glare “You know, if we are being punished for the crime, we might as well commit it, right?”

“What are you talking about?” Charlie asked with a tug of her book to take it out of Santana’s grasp. She put her book mark in the page she was on before setting it aside because obviously Santana wanted her attention and she knew she wouldn’t get any reading done anyway

“You know” Santana gave her eyebrows a little bit of a wiggle and bit her bottom lip as her hand dropped and laid gently against Charlie’s knee. “Defiling your house.”

“Oh my god” Charlie said with a soft laugh, pushing Santana’s hand away and shaking her head with a roll of her eyes “Not even! I am so not in the mood to defile anything, especially not with what just happened. My mom is probably still in the house!”

Santana let out a loud laugh and sat up now, crossing her legs in front of her and facing Charlie now “I was joking! If only she knew the only people defiling this house are Dana and Britt.”

“Please” Charlie lifted her hand to stop Santana from continuing  “I don’t want to think about that.”

Santana smiled softly and reached up to take Charlie’s hand. She pulled on it until Charlie leaned across the bed and Santana was able to slide her arm around her waist. “So, Charlotte huh?”

Charlie let out a scoffed laugh and shifted so she was leaning in against Santana’s side. She let her legs move to drape lazily over Santana’s lap and her arm loosely wrapped around her waist. “Yes. But please if you ever want to defile anything with me never call me that.”

Santana nodded her head as a breath of a laugh escaped her lips “Noted.” She turned her head and touched a kiss just under Charlie’s ear before smiling against the skin there “So what’s your middle name?”

Charlie shivered a little at the kiss just below her ear. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin and she half melted into Santana. Damn it, Santana was really good at distracting her and persuading her to give her what she wanted. She was pretty sure Santana never heard the word no. “It’s stupid” She finally managed to whisper.

“Oh come on” Santana hummed against her ear, placing another gentle kiss there, this time letting her lips close around her earlobe for just a moment.

The warmth of Santana’s breath and the slight dampness on her ear from her mouth sent another shiver through her body. No. She had to stay strong. She wanted to stay strong. She wasn’t in the mood to make out or defile anything. She just had to keep saying no and keep distracted by talking. Talking was a good way to keep the mood a proper PG rating. “No, San, I hate my name. That is why people call me Charlie.”

“Mmmm” Santana hummed out against her ear as her nose gently nuzzled back and forth against her cheek. She smiled against the skin and pressed another light kiss just below her ear before her husky voice broke in again, this time in a purr “I bet it’s super sexy.” Each time she spoke the letter S she made sure to draw it out a little longer than the last.

What was she doing with her voice? And why was it growing increasingly harder to say no to her? Santana Lopez was a wizard or something, she had to be, because suddenly Charlie felt dizzy like she had been put under a spell and all of her reserves were quickly melting away “Promise not to laugh?” She breathed out in a whisper after fighting yet another shiver through her body.

Santana nodded slowly, letting her cheek brush Charlie’s as she did so. Her lips parted and she let out a happy sigh against her ear before touching one more kiss “I would never laugh at you.”

Charlie swallowed because suddenly her mouth was dry. Her body had developed a tremble that she had not been aware of until that moment. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked down at the two of them. It seemed innocent enough, they two of them side by side with an arm around the other. They were sitting close and engaged in a soft conversation. Nothing was inappropriate and yet Charlie’s entire body was on fire, temptations boiling to the surface at a break neck pace.

“Don’t tease” Santana whispered, this time letting her teeth playfully scrape along Charlie’s jaw just below her ear “I wanna know.”

Charlie’s entire body shifted and she pulled from Santana’s grip completely. “Rose” She said quickly before sliding across the mattress and off the bed. She turned her back to Santana for a moment, taking a few long, deep breaths to steady herself before slowly she turned back to the other girl “Now you stay there.”

A frown lifted on Santana’s lips when Charlie so suddenly vacated her spot next to her. Her arm fell in disappointment to the mattress to prop herself up and her eyes lifted in worry, searching her face for some sort of clue as to what happened “I didn’t mean to offend you I just wanted to know. I want to know everything about you.” She bit her lip and shrugged, suddenly feeling very awkward. She shifted to sit up and crossed her arms around herself loosely “I like it, by the way. It’s very cute.”

Charlie could see the way Santana had adjusted and there was no mistaking she was worried. She could see it in her face, her body language, and most importantly in the tone of voice she was now using. Suddenly her gut twisted and panged with guilt before she let out a heavy sigh “I’m sorry. I’m not mad, I hate my middle name, but it’s not like I would be upset about telling you.”

“Then what is it?” Santana asked softly, shrugging her shoulders very slightly “I was just trying to get closer. You know, talk to you and get to know you. I thought you would like that.”

“I do” Charlie said in a huff before running her hands back through her hair. She turned her head to the side so she didn’t have to look at Santana for a moment and she could steady her thoughts. She licked over her lips slowly and gave her head a shake, pushing the boiling heat in her nerves down to a low simmer, at least, before she looked back at the other girl. “I’m sorry. It was nice, you know, talking. And I love that you want to get to know little things about me like that. It’s just…”

“What?” Santana let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding while Charlie tried to explain herself. “I’m not going to laugh, I promise. I just thought I really upset you.”

“You didn’t” Charlie said quickly. When she saw confusion flash over Santana’s face, that pang of guilt rose again and she bit her lip to fight off a frown. “Look” She whispered, folding her arms around herself now and giving a soft squeeze “I was just…feeling something that I’m not ready to feel.”

Santana arched an eyebrow and looked down where her hands were now folded in her lap. She replayed what had just happened and shook her head at it all. She didn’t understand. Her eyes lifted slowly and she shrugged in defeat at the girl “Did I do something wrong?”

“No!” Charlie said quickly, shaking her head back and forth to accentuate the point. “No, you were fine. I mean, it’s just me. It’s stupid.” She waved a hand to the side then looked at her feet. Her cheeks were flushed with a soft blush now. She felt completely awkward and idiotic for what had just happened.

“Charlie” Santana cooed softly, sliding across the bed even though she had been told to stay put. She reached out and set her hands on Charlie’s hips and looked up at the girl standing in front of her. “You can tell me anything.” She gave a soft squeeze where she held the girl and smiled gently. There was nothing but sincere concern for the girl. She wanted her to know she could share anything with her.

Charlie nodded and licked her lips again. Little sparks were coursing through her where Santana’s fingers held onto her. It was making it really hard to concentrate. She had to close her eyes and draw in a deep breath to find her focus again. A shiver shot through her unexpectedly and she knew Santana felt it because when she opened her eyes she saw the girl smirking at her. That caused her to give a frustrated roll of her eyes and reach down to pull Santana’s hands off her “I told you to stay put.”

“Sorry” Santana said with a pout but didn’t move away. “I was just trying to comfort you. I hear touch is a great way to pass comfort from person to person.”

Charlie huffed and rolled her eyes again. No, touch is too distracting and causing too many feelings to jumble up inside her and making all of this really confusing. She stepped out of Santana’s reach and pointed at her “Stay put.”

Santana lifted her hands in surrender and shook her head to show that she would not move forward anymore.

“Good” Charlie nodded and folded her arms. She stared at the girl and could see the questioning look in her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and as she let it out in a heavy sigh decided just to blurt the words out because she would never be able to say them otherwise “When we were sitting together and you kept kissing me I started getting…” She shrugged, blushing at what she had said even though she hadn’t really said anything.

“Getting?” Santana asked with a shake of her head and a soft smile “Hot?” Charlie’s cheeks blazed red and that was all the answer Santana needed. She let out a soft chuckle and reached her hand toward Charlie “Come here, Chuck.”

“You said you wouldn’t laugh.” Charlie pouted and stayed put.

“I didn’t laugh at you!” Santana said with a laugh. When Charlie growled, Santana bit back another laugh and just smiled “I laughed at the…innocence of it all.” She shook her head and motioned for Charlie to come over to her “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just trying to, you know, be close. It’s what I do. I love to cuddle and snuggle and when I do that I give little kisses.  I thought it was alright because my hands were staying still.”

“I know they were” Charlie whispered and finally took a step forward. She reached her hand out to meet Santana’s and was tugged back to the bed until she was sitting back down. “And that’s what freaked me out. You were being good and I still got, you know…”

“Hot” Santana finished with a nod which earned her an elbow from Charlie. “What? That’s what happened and it is nothing to be embarrassed by or ashamed of.” She wrapped her arm around Charlie now and pulled her so she was leaning against her. Her hand slowly smoothed up and down her back and she gave a kiss to the side of her head “It’s normal. I’ve gotten worked up around you a few times too. We are raging bags of hormonal fuel. We can’t control our reactions but we can control how we react to them.”

“I know how hormones work” Charlie said with a soft laugh before she turned her head to look up at Santana. She took in a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders “I just freaked out I guess. I’d never really felt that, as you say, hot, before.” 

“Never?” The disbelief painted on Santana’s face was evident.

“Never!” Charlie said with a huff and pulled back from Santana enough to really look at her “I’m too busy to really let myself, you know, think about that stuff and about people that way!”

“You’ve never had a crush?” Santana asked with a slowly growing smirk of amusement on her face.

“Sure” Charlie said with a shrug “But I’ve never like pictured them with their clothes off or something!”

“Never?” Santana was completely baffled and amused by this.

“No” Charlie said, blushing now because of the subject matter. “Just thought they were cute or admired their style or their, you know, writing or whatever. Whatever kind of caught my attention in the first place is usually something I admired about them. It’s never been about sex.”

Santana slowly nodded her head as she soaked in the information. Charlie really was just a sweet pure little girl still. It was endearing and probably why she was so terrified about being with her in the first place. Did she really deserve a girl as sweet and innocent as Charlie? What if she tainted her for good?

“San?” Charlie nudged her, biting her lower lip as she watched the girl’s face. “Are you listening or did you drift off because I bored you to death?”

“No!” Santana shook her head and came back to reality with a laugh “Sorry I was just processing. That’s really sweet of you. I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone our age who hasn’t at least once pictured someone in a sexual way. It’s just shocking, in a good way.” She smiled and lifted her hand to Charlie’s cheek, stroking it gently to show she wasn’t teasing her.

“Well don’t get too excited” Charlie mumbled with a shrug of her shoulders. “You still haven’t met someone our age who hasn’t pictured someone sexually.”

“What?” Santana arched an eyebrow “But you just said-“

“I know” Charlie said quickly, cutting her off. The blush creeping up on her cheeks again should have been a clue but when Santana just stared at her with a confused look on her face, she was forced to say it. “I said I had never pictured my crushes like that. I didn’t say I had never pictured my girlfriend like that…”

“Oh. Oh!” Santana drew out the second oh as realization hit her. It was her turn to blush a bit, glad for her darker skin tone that hid the pink pretty well. She was completely flattered by Charlie’s confession. “Really?” 

Charlie nodded quickly, her cheeks so hot now she was sure Santana was able to feel the heat radiating off of them. “That’s why I had to move away.”

Santana nodded in understanding and pulled Charlie back against her once more. She gave her a tight squeeze and whispered softly “I know we said we would wait and I am still all for that okay? But I want you to be open with me, too. If you have questions or thoughts or feelings like that again I want you to let me know.” She pulled back again so that their eyes could meet “There are steps that we will need to take before, you know, we get there, and if you are feeling certain things then it might be time to take a step. I’m not saying, you know, let’s go all out. But if, I don’t know, if me kissing you ear makes you feel something then maybe you are ready to explore that sensation a little more.”

Charlie blinked a few times and nodded as she thought it over. It did make sense. It wasn’t as if they were rushing into anything. They were going slow and taking their time and that was exactly what she wanted to do. But if her body was reacting certain ways then it might be time to move forward just a little. Only a little bit, though. Still fully clothed and what not. Maybe a little more making out and kissing other places than just lips. But only above the waist! “Okay” She finally said, having to break her train of thought before it got too far. Maybe she wasn’t as in control of her own urges as she first thought.

“Okay” Santana repeated with a smile on her lips. “One step at a time and if you ever feel as if it is too much you can tell me and we can back up.” She reached for Charlie’s hand and gave it a soft squeeze “I want to do this right, I told you. I’m in this with you completely, alright?”

“Okay” Charlie whispered in response, her eyes locked now with Santana’s. It was almost bone chilling how honest Santana was being and how she could see that just by looking into her eyes. It was amazing and she felt that she was in good hands. She had complete confidence in Santana.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

“Quinn?” Rachel whispered, reaching out slowly to slide her hand down over the other girl’s arm. Once they had gotten to the room and closed the door Quinn had laid on the bed with Rachel. The two girls had kind of talked over what had just happened and Rachel spent most of that time trying to calm her down. Now, though, Quinn had just been staring at the ceiling for what felt like an hour. She hardly blinked, she was barely breathing, and Rachel was a little worried. “Are you okay?”

Quinn’s head nodded against the pillow at the question. That was good. At least she was awake and responsive.

Rachel gave a nod too and tried to smile as her hand slid along her arm until her fingers laced gently through Quinn’s motionless fingers. “Do you want to talk about it some more?”

This time her head moved back and forth just enough to silently tell Rachel no. She took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh but didn’t speak.

Rachel bit her lip and nodded again before looking at her hand. She gave Quinn’s fingers a light squeeze but got nothing in return. Her brow creased in a frown and she slowly looked back to the girl’s face, searching for some sort of hint as to what was going on in her mind. “Do you want me to leave?”

Quinn’s head shook a little faster this time and for the first time in ages, it seemed, her green eyes moved to the side and found Rachel’s. Her hand closed around Rachel’s fingers and she gave a tight squeeze.

Rachel’s heart fluttered. It was so simple, a glance and a squeeze, but it meant the world to her. Quinn Fabray wanted her there. She wanted her to be by her side. Through all the leaps and bounds Quinn had made the past two days Rachel was almost afraid she would revert back into denial but she hadn’t. She was still there, still openly expressing to Rachel how she felt, and still asking her to stay beside her. So if laying in silence is what Quinn wanted, Rachel would be happy to oblige. She shifted so she was lying next to the girl, their hands still tangled together, and their heads on the same pillow.

Just as Rachel was relaxing, Quinn sat up. She still held onto her hand and gave an excited squeeze as she looked down at the girl with a smile. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Quinn?” Rachel asked with a shake of her head as she sat up. “Get out of here? And where would we go? And how are we going to get there? I don’t exactly see your mother approving of you leaving the house, for one, and using the car she bought you to do so!”

Quinn let go of Rachel’s hand and waved her off as she slid out of bed and started to dig in her closet “We don’t need a car.” She pulled out some real clothes, since she was still in her pjs, and tossed them on the bed. She was about to rip her pajamas off when she remembered Rachel was there and paused. “Um, can you turn around?”

“Oh” Rachel blushed and quickly slid off the bed, nodding and turning her back toward Quinn once she stood. “I wasn’t like watching you or anything. I was looking at you because you were speaking and I was listening.”

“It’s okay Rachel” Quinn said with a laugh as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it away, followed by the sweats she had worn to bed. “I know you weren’t staring on purpose. I almost just undressed in front of you so it was my fault.”

“I probably wouldn’t have noticed. Charlie changes in front of me all the time.” Rachel shrugged. That was a lie. As soon as Quinn’s shirt came off she would have noticed. Yes she changed in front of her friend all the time but she was also not attracted to her friend. That was a weird thought considering they were almost identical. But Charlie just didn’t do it for her.

“I’m done” Quinn interrupted Rachel’s train of thought and let out a laugh. “You can look now.” She tossed another pair of jeans and a sweater onto the bed then turned to find her shoes.

“Where are we going?” Rachel asked softly, reaching for the sweater once she turned around. She quickly slipped it over the tshirt she had slept in then reached for the jeans. There was no way to change from her pj pants to the jeans quickly enough for Quinn not to see so she looked up “It’s your turn not to look.”

Quinn let out a laugh and sat with her back to her on the bed. “I’m not looking, go ahead.” She pulled her feet into her shoes and tied them up while Rachel changed. 

“I’m done” Rachel said shyly, giving Quinn a smile when the girl stood and turned around. “I just need my shoes.” She pointed to them near the dresser where she had taken them off the day before. 

Quinn gave her a soft smile as she gathered the shoes then walked them over to her instead of tossing them onto the bed. She set them in her hands then looked her over slowly “You look really cute in my clothes.”

Rachel blushed and looked down over herself. There was nothing special about her appearance. The jeans were a little too long but she had rolled them up at the cuffs. The sweater fit her pretty well and with her tshirt on under it she looked like she filled it out and wasn’t really drowning in the material. “They are comfortable” She finally mumbled, glancing back to Quinn with a shy smile before sitting on the bed to pull on her shoes.

Quinn nodded and took another moment to look at the girl in her clothes before she forced herself to turn away and return to her closet. She dug through again until she found an extra blanket. Nodding at herself silently she turned and headed toward the door, waiting for Rachel to finish, before she reached out her hand toward the girl.

“Where are we going?” Rachel asked again but did not hesitate to take Quinn’s hand. She bit her lip and fought off a smile as Quinn pushed her door open and looked down the hall. The coast was clear so they slowly tip toed out, shut the door behind them, and then headed down the hallway.

As they approached Dana’s room it became increasingly obvious to Rachel what Quinn had in mind. They were going to sneak out of the house and apparently walk to wherever it was that she wanted to go. She hoped they wouldn’t get caught. Who knows how Judy would react if Quinn was not only defiling her house but sneaking out with the girl she was apparently defiling it with. It would send her over the edge she was almost sure of it.

“Let me do all the talking” Quinn whispered as they stood outside Dana’s room. She could hear soft music inside so she knew her sister was there. At least she hoped she was there. If she had escaped and left her room locked they then were screwed. As she lifted her hand to knock, Rachel gave her other hand a soft squeeze in a silent reassuring that she trusted her completely. Here goes nothing.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

 


	14. Just the two of us

A soft acoustic version of Dana’s favorite song was playing on the stereo as she and Brittany lounged around her room together. All the excitement from earlier in the day had kind of taken its toll on Dana and she had no real strength to do anything. So she sat reclined in the old ripped up recliner her parents had gotten rid of years ago, her feet propped up on the end of her bed, and her eyes on Brittany.

The blonde looked up at the girl from the magazine she had been looking at and smiled softly, finally giving her head a shake, and asking in a whisper “What are you looking at?”

“You” Dana said with a sleepy blink of her eyes and a soft smile on her lips. When Brittany blushed, she licked at her lips then pushed her feet so the chair spun around. She reached for something on her dresser behind her then swiveled back around to take her position she had left just a moment ago. “You wanna…?”

Brittany perked an eyebrow curiously at Dana, not really sure what she was offering at first. She wasn’t really in the mood, and even she thought it would be a little tasteless to do any defiling (even if she wasn’t sure what that word meant completely) after Judy had gone all god squad on them. “I don’t know, Dana. Don’t you think we should like wait until she leaves the house at least? You know I can be kind of loud-“

“Not that!” Dana said with a laugh, looking at her lap where she was fiddling around with what she had grabbed. “I am definitely not in the mood. For some reason you screaming oh God right now would just be awkward.” She smirked at that, casting her eyes up to catch Brittany blushing again. “I meant this” She finally lifted her hand, revealing the pipe she had fetched from her dresser.

When Brittany’s eyes landed on it, they went wide, and then she bit her lip and shook her head “I shouldn’t. We have a competition coming up this week and it’s really hard to go through our routines when I’m high.”

Dana arched an eyebrow slowly at the girl and shook her head “Your competition is on Friday and today is Sunday. You have like five days. There is no way you’d be high still.”

“Oh” Brittany perked up a little and smiled “Okay then!”

Dana nodded and lifted the pipe to her mouth. She had just lit the lighter and was burning her first hit when she heard the knock at the door. She coughed in surprise and quickly blew the smoke from her mouth. Brittany got up and grabbed the air freshener and gave a quick spray while Dana stashed the piped back in the box on her dresser. She waved her hand about to help thin the air and after Brittany settled back onto the bed acting as innocent as she could, Dana got up and went to the door.

“Who is it?” She said gruffly, trying to act as though she had just been woken from sleep.

“It’s Quinn and Rachel” The voice from the other side came softly. “What are you doing in there? I have a favor to ask you.”

Dana let out a laugh and motioned to Brittany over her shoulder to get the pipe back out before turning and undoing the locks on her door. There were about six of them so it took a few moments. Finally she pulled them all open then cracked her door enough to peek out. She eyed the girls in the hallway then opened the door a little more “What do you want?”

“Can we come in or do you want to risk running into mom?” Quinn asked with a huff as her folded arms tightened around the blanket she held.

Dana looked over her sister carefully and could see that this was not a stop of pleasure for the girl. She was definitely not here to chat. She then glanced at Rachel standing behind her and saw a nervous look on her face and knew immediately this was all Quinn’s doing. Curiosity took over and she gave a nod “Sure, come in.” She stepped aside and let the girls pass by her and into her sacred temple that was her bedroom.

“What is that smell?” Rachel mumbled softly, her nose crunching up in a bit of disgust as she glanced around the room. She wasn’t sure if it was the piles of discarded food wrappers on the floor that was the source of the smell. All she knew was it smelled like a skunk and it was unpleasant.

Quinn huffed and turned back to look at her sister “I thought you promised me you wouldn’t smoke in the house anymore?”

“Cigarettes” Dana said with a smirk then went back to her chair and landed on it with a thud.

“Hi” Brittany said with a little wave to the two girls before lifting the pipe that she now held to her lips and lit it.

“Oh” Rachel whispered to herself and turned her eyes to her feet. She did not want to be witness to illegal activity! What if the cops questioned her one day? She did not want to have to lie! So she was just going to pretend she didn’t see anything.

“Look” Quinn said with a shrug, not wasting any time with getting to the point. “I need to get out of here. I need some air, some space, and I need to not worry about mom lurking around every corner. So-“

“You wanna climb out of my window” Dana finished the sentence then nodded as she reached for the pipe once Brittany handed it her way. “Sure.”

“Really?” Quinn eyed her sister suspiciously. “No questions or deals or bribes so you won’t tell mom?”

Dana shook her head and exhaled a string of smoke she had just taken in “Nope. What mom did was uncool and you were all badass and stood up for what you believe in, what we all believe in.” She shrugged and gave her sister a smile “That took balls, Q. Besides, we’re on the same team here and telling on you for sneaking out, especially now, would just put us all at a disadvantage.”

Quinn couldn’t help but smile at that. It was one of the few compliments Dana had ever sincerely given her. She gave a nod at that then reached back to take Rachel’s hand. “We won’t be gone long, I promise.”

Dana shrugged and got off her chair. She went to her window and pried it open with a grunt before stepping to the side and lifting her curtains out of the way so they wouldn’t entangle the girls as they made their escape. 

“Hold this” Quinn said to Rachel, handing her back the blanket, before she grabbed the edge of the windowsill and lifted herself into it. She slowly slipped out, putting her feet on the roof, before turning and reaching now for the blanket. Once she got it from Rachel, she set that down too then offered her hand through to help the girl follow her out the window.

“The tiles near the tree are kind of loose so be careful not to slip” Dana said softly, her eyes darting around outside to make sure their parents weren’t out in the yard where they’d be able to see the girls escaping. “Go to the end of the garage and grab the branch of the cherry tree. You gotta swing from it and drop to the dirt, but it’s only a few feet so you shouldn’t hurt yourself.”

“Thanks Dana” Quinn said with a smile once Rachel had been pulled through the window and settled on the roof. She looked back at Brittany on the bed and gave her a smile, shaking her head “No more until after our competition, okay?”

Brittany grinned and nodded “You got it, captain!”

Quinn and Rachel both gave them a quick wave before Quinn scooped up the blanket, took Rachel’s hand again, and they slowly made their way toward the tree that Dana had mentioned.

“Are you sure this is alright?” Rachel whispered as she looked at the branch, then down to the ground, then back to Quinn “How are we even supposed to get back up the tree and into the house again?”

“Will you stop worrying?” Quinn asked with a little laugh before tossing the blanket to the ground then grabbing the branch. She pushed her feet off the roof and swung a few times before coming to a stop. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let her hands go. Dana was right, the drop was just a few feet and she landed easily enough on her feet. She quickly turned and looked up at Rachel with a smile “It’s easy. Just grab a hold and slowly let yourself dangle. I will reach up and grab you so you don’t even have to fall. You will just land safely in my arms, okay?”

Rachel pinked a little at the thought. She wanted nothing more than to land safely into Quinn’s arms every day. She bit her lip to fight off the blush and nodded before reaching out to take the branch in her hands. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “One day you will audition for an action role and you will look back on this as experience.” She whispered to herself softly, convincing herself she could do this. Finally she took the leap and slowly let her feet drop and her body swing. She gave a squeak at the sudden feeling that she was falling and her entire body tensed. “Quinn!”

“I got you” Quinn said softly, grabbing onto Rachel’s hips tightly as soon as they had come within reach. She smiled and stepped closer, wrapping her arms now firmly around the dangling body and holding it close to her. “It’s okay, Rachel, I’m here. You can let go. I won’t let you fall.”

Rachel’s entire body melted into the warmth of Quinn’s grasp around her and without hesitation her hands let go of the branch. Slowly she started to slide down through Quinn’s arms until finally her feet came to rest against the dirt. Her eyes that had been clenched tightly now slowly opened and the first thing that came into focus were those intense green eyes and a soft smile set on Quinn’s pink lips.

“I told you that you could do it.” Quinn whispered softly, lifting her hand that had still been wrapped around Rachel’s waist now to her hair, pushing back a loose strand. “We can do anything as long as we do it together.” She turned now and scooped up the blanket once more before sliding her hand into Rachel’s and slowly starting to lead them through the little bit of woods that surrounded the Fabray property.

It was ten minutes later when they stepped out of the trees and onto the sidewalk. By this time they were two blocks away from the house and out of harm’s way. For the first time all weekend, it seemed, Quinn let out a sigh of relief and a smile spread over her lips “It’s such a nice day.”

“Where are we going?” Rachel asked softly as they made their way together hand in hand down the street. It was a beautiful day there was no doubt about that but that didn’t do much to curve Rachel’s anxiety about having sneaked out of the house toward an unknown destination.

“Relax” Quinn said gently, giving her fingers a light squeeze where they swung between them with each step. “Let’s just enjoy our day together. We haven’t had real, uninterrupted alone time ever, I don’t think.”

Rachel thought this over and slowly nodded in agreement. In the year and a half they had known each other they had never been left alone together for more than a few minutes. Not that they had ever tried to be alone together considering Rachel had been convinced Quinn hated her up until a few weeks ago. She smiled at the thought and looked over at Quinn now “You could have just asked me to hang out with you alone if you wanted alone time you know?”

Quinn rolled her eyes and glanced at Rachel with a half smirk on her lips “Right, like that would have been totally normal and not at all seemed weird. Oh hey, Charlie, is it cool if instead of you and Rachel looking at birds all day together, I could steal her away and we could go get ice cream and talk about music?”

“Is that what you thought our first date would be?” Rachel asked with a near teasing smile on her lips.

Quinn laughed a little and shook her head “Not even close.”

“So you’ve thought about what our first date would be?” Rachel perked up at the thought of this surprising revelation.

This time Quinn pinked at the cheeks and rolled her eyes. She gave a half shrug of her shoulder and nodded “Maybe a few times.”

Rachel squeaked with amusement and bounced on her feet a few times until she was now facing Quinn and walking backwards down the sidewalk in front of her. “Tell me! Tell me! I want to know!”

“Oh my god” Quinn mumbled and put a hand to her cheek, covering just one eye, as if hiding her face from the embarrassment that was the bouncing Rachel Berry in front of her. “Will you stop? You look like a dork right now.”

“You like that I’m a dork” Rachel huffed and stopped her bouncing, but her smile remained. She was going to have to remember just how to make Quinn blush in public and if being an overly excited bubble of joy was one way, she would do it. In the future, though, because right now she really wanted to know what kind of things Quinn’s mind had thought up when it came to a date for them. “Tell me, please?” She asked now softly once she settled into stride beside her, batting her eyes at the girl and giving a sweet grin.

Quinn glanced at the girl and saw her pleading puppy dog look and rolled her eyes, fighting off a smile. She really could be an adorable dork sometimes. “To be honest” She finally said with a shrug as they took a corner and headed down another block. “Kind of like this.”

“Really?” Rachel perked again and now drew her eyes about her, looking at the neighborhood they were walking through. They weren’t doing much of anything, just walking to somewhere Rachel still didn’t know, and talking. It was nice, though. She smiled after a moment and nodded “Casual. I like that.”

“Casual” Quinn nodded before pulling Rachel to a stop and pointing now across the street “With a little fun.”

When Rachel’s eyes landed on what Quinn had pointed at, she lit up a little bit. “A park?”

Quinn nodded and glanced at Rachel, trying to read her, trying to decide if she liked it. “You are never too old to play on a playground.”

“I had no idea you liked playing. You always seemed so…” Rachel shrugged as she thought of what word to use “Prim. Like getting dirt under your nails or in your shoes would just be a bother.”

“Well you’re wrong” Quinn said with a tug of Rachel’s hand, leading her across the street and into the park. It was her favorite park. Her sisters and her father used to come here every Sunday after church when they were younger. For a moment she felt sad at that thought. Her father would never bring her here again, especially not after today, she was sure of it.

She shook herself from that thought as they approached the end of the playground. “I never get dirt in my shoes.” Quinn said with a shrug as she dropped the blanket on the grass.

“How?” Rachel asked, looking over the sand where the playground sat then to her own shoes.

“I take them off” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes as if that should have been obvious. She quickly kicked off her shoes, pulled off her socks, and then ran a few steps into the sand. She turned around and put her hands on her hips, staring at Rachel “Well hurry up! The sand is turning into lava in ten seconds and if you’re not on the boat by then, you die!” With that, she let out a laugh then turned and ran toward the playground, jumping onto the rope ladder and climbing it as quickly as she could.

Rachel almost perished in the imaginary lava because she was too busy watching Quinn Fabray smile and laugh and act like a child. She was still a child, they both were, but all Rachel had ever seen was a very grown up and put together young adult. Now as she heard Quinn start to countdown from five and yell something about not wanting to plan a funeral for her, she realized that all Quinn needed to be herself was a little bit of self-confidence, something that the stand-off with her mother had seemed to have granted her.

She barely kicked off her shoes and socks and managed to grab a hold of the red ladder that twisted as you climbed it before Quinn hit ten. The two girls shared a smile across the jungle gym before continuing their ascent to safety and solid ground on the various platforms of the playground that was now their boat.

Hours passed with the two of them laughing together as they went on an adventure across the vast sea of lava. Neither of them tried to rationalize what the lava was doing there instead of water, none of them cared that their boat would disintegrate in lava if this were real, and neither of them cared that they were laughing like monkeys and acting like children for everyone that passed by to see. Finally the two of them grew tired and Quinn fetched the blanket from the grass, them having called a lava time out, and spread it out under the slide for them to lie upon in the growing shadows of the early evening.

Rachel let out a happy sigh and rolled her head to the side to look at Quinn beside her. A smile came to her lips when she saw Quinn was already looking at her and she couldn’t help but to blush. “What are you looking at?” She asked in a soft whisper.

Quinn just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, lifting the hand that lie between them and using it to push the bangs from Rachel’s eyes. “Do you think it could be like this all the time?”

“Do I think what could be like this?” Rachel’s tone hadn’t risen above a whisper because there was no need for it to.

Quinn rolled onto side now and slid her hand over Rachel’s stomach, her other hand was used to hold her head up. “This” She shrugged, casting a glance downward to look at the two of them together before bringing her gaze back to meet Rachel’s awaiting eyes “You and I having fun and just being normal without anyone looking at us in disgust or judging us for it?”

Rachel smiled at the thought. It was a beautiful thought indeed. She thought about the two of them passing countless days together like this, doing whatever they wanted that sounded fun at the time, laughing and sharing playful hugs for the entire world to see. She thought maybe, yeah, they could get away with that forever. But then the rational side of her brain took over and she just shrugged. “Quinn, my fathers have been together forever, it seems. They met in high school, dated on and off in college, moved in together when they graduated, and have not only made a very nice and respectable life for their selves but for a daughter they have raised to be the best she can be, to love and accept everyone, and have done it all with pure and complete love in their heart. They have never been committed of a crime, they cry if one accidentally kills a bug, and they give a large part of their earnings to various charities ranging from helping children to animals to the elderly. They are, in every sense of what society expects, good people.”

“I know. Why are you telling me this?” Quinn was looking at her like she was a little crazy “That has nothing to do with what I asked you.”

“It does” Rachel said with a nod as she lifted a hand under her head to lay on and the other dropped to rest over Quinn’s against her stomach. “Because no matter how happy you are in life, no matter how good you are to the people around you, and no matter how much love you share with your family and friends, people will always judge you.” She switched her gaze from the underside of the slide to where Quinn was looking down at her now. “There is hardly a day that passed that my dads don’t get a scowl in the store when they kiss or a roll of eyes thrown their way when one tells the other he loves him.”

Quinn’s face fell into a frown at that. A real look of worry flashed over her features and she almost looked as if she had been a balloon who someone had struck with a sharp pin to pop.

“But” Rachel said quickly, seeing that Quinn had become doubtful “They are happy, Quinn. They make each other laugh. They do the silliest things when they think I’m not looking, silly things I don’t understand but seem to be some sort of joke to them, and to see the way my dad’s face lights up when it happens is beautiful.” Rachel rolled to her side now, sitting up a bit to become level with Quinn. She ran her hand across Quinn’s hip then looped it around her back. “To them, every disgusted or judging look has been worth it because of the life they get to share. And over time you learn to ignore and not even notice the rest of the world around you.”

Quinn would never admit it to anyone but what other people thought about her had always been important. It was probably something she had been inadvertently, or maybe purposefully, taught by her parents. The thought of living her entire life under the microscope was not what she had in mind.

Rachel knew this. She could see it in her face every time someone had called anyone a cruel name around her. She could see it when Quinn would bully her in the hallways. She wanted approval, she wanted to fit in, and never did she want anyone to think they knew better for her life than she did. Rachel lifted a hand now from her waist and slowly brought her fingers to touch at her cheek. “Quinn” She whispered again now, her eyes not once leaving the girl’s face even though Quinn had not looked into her gaze directly “No matter what you do in this world people will have an opinion. If you go to school to be a doctor, people will say you wasted a great physique and leadership skills and that you could have been, I don’t know, the first woman championship bull rider in the men’s circle or something.”

“Bull rider?” Quinn arched an eyebrow and looked at Rachel with a glance that was half amused and half curious. Sometimes the things Rachel said and the thought processes her brain took were a mystery to her.

“Or whatever” Rachel added with a playful shrug and a soft laugh. “My point is that you will not ever, not in a million years, never be able to please everyone in this world. Everyone, even if they don’t know you, will have some sort of opinion on what is best for you. You can’t let that run your life. What you need to do is look inside you, listen to your heart of hearts, and do what it is that feels absolutely perfect for you. Be a doctor or a painter or a hippie who never wears socks if that is what feels right.”

“A hippie?” Quinn laughed this time. “That actually sounds fun!”

“See?” Rachel said with a return giggle “Maybe that’s what you are meant to do and as long as it makes you happy I will support you.” She leaned in now, touching a soft kiss to Quinn’s lips and added in a breath of a whisper “And love you because it’s you, it’s who you are meant to be, and that is beautiful. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn’t know you, doesn’t really love you, and shouldn’t matter.”

“What about my mom?” Quinn whispered, her voice giving a slight tremble at the mention. She had always looked up to her mother, always thought she was the perfect woman really. She had a beautiful home, a husband who loved her and supported her family, and three pretty great children. That is what she had always thought she wanted because it looked so amazing. She had grown up wanting her mother’s approval because to be like her mother was the greatest accomplishment she could make. At least that is what she had always thought.

“She will come around” Rachel said with a nod.

“What if she doesn’t? What is she hates me forever?” Quinn’s voice rose with a bit of panic now.

Rachel shifted to sit up completely, reached out with both hands, and cupped at Quinn’s face “She will come around.”

“How do you know?”

“Because she loves you.” Rachel said firmly, her eyes not once wavering in the strength they were holding for Quinn to look at and hopefully grasp onto. “She is going through a lot right now. Not one, not two, but all three of her children are involved in something that she was taught her entire life to believe was wrong. It’s not her fault. She has been misled and when she realizes this and realizes that her children are growing into loving, beautiful, happy adults she will realize she wants to be a part of that and that was all she ever wanted for her kids to begin with.”

Quinn didn’t look convinced. “She hates me, Rachel.”

“She does not hate you. If she hated you she wouldn’t have tried to exercise your demons. She would have let them take over and eat your soul.” Rachel let out a soft laugh at that.

Quinn frowned and slapped Rachel’s arm away “This is not funny!”

“I’m sorry” Rachel said with another soft giggle before shaking her head and sobering up “She is confused and scared because life as she knows it is breaking down. So she resorts to drastic means to try and get a hold of what is left and grab back some sort of control.” She smiled and folded her arms and legs now, giving Quinn a nod “Sounds familiar.”

“It does?” Quinn sat up now and shrugged her shoulders “Have you seen this before?”

Rachel rolled her eyes and bit back another laugh “You, silly. When you realized your feelings for me you did everything in the world to deny it and push it away because it wasn’t what you had planned for your life. Just think about that.”

Quinn opened her mouth to deny it quickly but stopped. Rachel was right. Quinn had bullied her, teased her, and called her names. She had been an awful human being to her just so she could lie to herself that she was in control of what she felt. It wasn’t exactly exercising demons but it was horrible. She had made Rachel’s life a living Hell just because she was scared of where her own life was going.

Rachel nodded as Quinn’s silent revelation took over. She reached out and took her hand, giving it a soft squeeze, before she whispered again “She will come around. You just have to be strong.”

“It’s going to be hard” Quinn said as her eyes met Rachel’s again “I don’t know if I can handle the way she is going to look at me, as if I am the scum of the Earth.”

“It will be worth it.” She whispered softly “Maybe not today, not tomorrow, but maybe in twenty years when you are living a life you’ve worked hard to build with a partner you love more than anything and you whisper an inside joke to them in their kitchen while baking cookies and you see that person smile and know that you are the only person that gets to see that smile. It will be worth it then.”

“That person?” Quinn whispered, one eyebrow arching now in question “Why didn’t you say you?”

Rachel shrugged a little and blushed brightly at the cheeks and over her neck now. She bit her lip and looked down at where she held Quinn’s hand “Believe me I want that person to be me but who knows. People go through many partners in life before finding the one that suits them perfectly.”

“You suit me perfectly” Quinn whispered, reaching out her free hand to pull at Rachel’s chin and lift it until she could find her eyes. She offered a sweet smile and a soft nod “Maybe it’s a little childish to say but I want to be able to whisper to you in our kitchen while we bake cookies and I want it to be your smile that I see looking back at me.”

“Really?” Rachel bit her bottom lip hard, fighting off a swell of tears that had suddenly taken over her eyes.

“Of course” Quinn said with a soft smile on her lips in a tone that told Rachel that should have been obvious. “You turned my entire life upside down. I can’t imagine sharing a silly joke with anyone else in the entire world now.”

Overcome with emotion, Rachel leaned in and pressed a sharp and hungry kiss to Quinn’s lips. She gave no regard to where they were or if anyone should see. In that moment all she wanted to do was feel from Quinn what her words had carried. That she really felt that way. And as her skin prickled and her lips tingled she knew just how true the words had been.

When the kiss broke, Quinn pulled back and licked over her lip as a smile crept to her features. She lifted a hand and slowly touched Rachel’s cheek before nodding her head. She was surer of her own words now than anything. She just had to be strong enough to stand by them all.

“We should probably head back” Rachel finally said after staring into Quinn’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. She looked around and noticed that darkness had begun to set in. 

At that, Quinn’s heart leaped into her throat. She did not want to go back. She hadn’t thought about it. She didn’t want to have to face her mother. She wasn’t ready. “Can’t we just stay at your place?”

“Don’t be silly” Rachel said with a shake of her head “My fathers are still out of town and they have a strict no visitors policy.”

“Even me?” Quinn said with a frown.

“Considering up until recently you were my main tormentor, especially you.” She shrugged and took Quinn’s hand again “I will tell them as soon as they get home and I am sure they will be thrilled to have you visit the house more. But for now, we have to go back to your house.”

“I’m scared” Quinn said quickly, her eyes large and full of shiny unshed tears now. “I’m not ready to face my mom yet.”

“Don’t be” Rachel said with a shake of her head, clasping both hands over Quinn’s one, and holding it to her chest. “I’m right here beside you.” She smiled slowly as Quinn’s words from earlier rose up and she spoke now in a whisper “We can do anything as long as we do it together, remember?”

“You’re not the one she hates.” Quinn mumbled with a frown on her lips.

“Neither are you.” Rachel replied, leaning in to kiss her once more before getting to her feet and offering a hand down to Quinn to help her up. “I got you” She whispered still “its okay, Quinn, I’m here. You can do this. I won’t let you fall.”

Quinn gave a soft smile and placed her hand in Rachel’s. She was right. They could do this together. No matter what happened from here on out, that private joke and secret smile while baking cookies is all Quinn could think about.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.


	15. Six months later - Epilogue

**Six mon** **ths later**  

“Hurry up, girls!” Hiram yelled up the steps with a heavy sigh, shaking his head and letting out a tsk sound. “They are going to be late. We should have learned that it takes forever for girls to get ready. What were we thinking letting all six of them get ready here?”

“They had no other place they could all be together” LeRoy said with a shrug, his hand sliding over Hiram’s shoulder and down his back. “It’s their own prom, Hiram, let them be late if it means their mascara is perfect.”

“Prom” Hiram put a hand to his heart and sighed “Can you believe it? Our little girl is going to her first prom! And as a sophomore! That’s a big deal.”

“I know, sweetie” LeRoy said with a nod.

“I am just so proud! I never thought she’d have a date to prom so young. I held out hope that we should at least get to go her senior year. You know how boys are intimidated by successful and driven women. I am glad she did not have to resort to going with her cousin.”

“I wouldn’t have let her” LeRoy said with a shake of his head “Our daughter would have been better off going alone then having a pity date.”

Hiram opened his mouth to argue but stopped and smiled “You are right. Berry’s don’t do pity dates.”

“It’s a good thing you weren’t a Berry in high school when you took your cousin Marge then or you would sound like a hypocrite” LeRoy smirked at that, casting his eyes at his husband and fighting a laugh.

“Oh you’re horrible” Hiram gasped and let out a laugh of his own. “Just promise me you will never tell Rachel that story.”

“I can’t make any promises” LeRoy said with a shake of his head, the two of them sharing one of their secret smiles just as Rachel started down the steps.

“What do you want him to promise now, daddy?” Rachel asked as she stopped on the second step from the bottom and gave her fathers a smile “How do I look?” She was dressed in a light pink dress that had been made for her perfectly. It hugged in all the right places and puffed out at the bottom almost like a sophisticated ballerina dress.

“Oh my angel” Hiram said with a smile and quickly lifted the camera he held and snapped a picture. “You are stunning!”

“Am I going to have to take a million pictures? We are already late and we still have to pose for the cheesy photographer at the dance.” Santana had followed Rachel down and slid by her now onto the landing just in front of the door. She smoothed a hand over her sleek red form fitting dress and looked at the men. “Can we make this quick?”

“Be patient you ape” Charlie said with a roll of her eyes before looking at the men with a sweet smile “Forgive her manners. She hasn’t eaten yet.” She joined Santana in her own dress, one that was a light eggshell color with various pastel flowers printed all about it.

“Might I remind you I haven’t eaten because we are late for dinner?” Santana said with a huff “The all you can eat pasta is while supplies last you know?”

“Might I remind you that you are the one who had to pencil your eyebrows on three times?” Charlie said with a shake of her head, folding her arms and looking back at the Berry men. “Sorry about her.”

“Don’t you dare apologize” LeRoy said with a smile “You two look gorgeous and I am sure the pasta will still be there when you get there Santana. Now..” He motioned for them to step together and put their arms around each other so Hiram could snap a photo of the couple.

“Aw, gay” Dana said with a laugh as she jumped from the third step up and landed with a thud on the tiles near Santana. She gave them a grin then looked at the men “How do I look? I made it myself.” She was wearing her old black boots, the laces half tied, fishnet stockings, and a black dress that had been made of what looked like colored duct tape and safety pins. Her pink hair was long enough now, barely, to pull into a ponytail so she had done so, letting whatever pieces that weren’t long enough fall loose about her face.

“You look great” Rachel said with a smile “I can’t believe you made your dress.”

“I helped” Brittany chimed in now, sliding up to Dana’s side and sliding her arm around her waist “I had to take the measurements for her waist and boobs. Plus sometimes the tape would rip and I would have to help put on a new layer.”

“Yup but we got all the kinks worked out. We shouldn’t have any wardrobe malfunctions tonight.” Dana lifted a hand with fingers crossed, a smirk on her lips “At least I hope not.”

“Well it’s beautiful” LeRoy said with a nod “And contrasts Brittany’s yellow dress perfectly. You sure do know about fashion don’t you girls?” Hiram snapped a quick picture when Brittany laid her head on Dana’s shoulder, the two men looking at it and awwing softly “That’s a keeper!”

“Come on, Q!” Santana leaned forward and yelled up the stairs “stop being a drama queen and get down here! Your girlfriend didn’t even need a dramatic entrance.”

“You shoved me out the door and said I was as pretty as I was ever going to get and if I didn’t move my hobbit feet and we missed dinner you were going to be forced to eat me first because everyone likes me less” Rachel said with a huff and folded her arms.

Santana shrugged and looked at Charlie who was giving her a scowl. She let out a laugh and rolled her eyes “It was a joke. It worked, though. Now all we are waiting on is self-obsessed Quinn.”

“I’m not self-obsessed. You hid my shoes from me.” Quinn growled from the top of the stairs, causing everyone to turn their head. She started her decent down the steps, feeling suddenly nervous. Everyone would have their eyes on them tonight. They had been out, as a couple, in school for months now but this was still big. It was a very public, very open way of saying, yes, we are for real. She had almost wanted to cancel or fake sickness a few times but Rachel had convinced her it would be alright. Now as she walked down the stairs and her eyes caught Rachel’s gaze looking at her so lovingly, so in awe, she knew that she was right. They would be alright.

“You look fantastic” Hiram said when Quinn took the last step and reached immediately for Rachel’s hand.

“Thank you” She looked down at her light blue dress and shrugged, smoothing her hand over it and looking at Rachel before back to the dads.

“Smile” Hiram said, lifting his camera and waiting for Quinn and Rachel to lean together before snapping a picture. Once he looked to make sure it was a good one, he motioned to the group “Alright, all of you get together for one group one.”

Santana groaned loudly and Charlie pushed her elbow into her ribs.

“Just one” Hiram said with a smile “Then you can go eat.”

Santana grumbled, but the rest of the group obliged. They huddled together, arms around their dates, smiles on their faces. Well, sort of. Dana stuck out her tongue and held up the rock and roll sign on her hand. Brittany had giggled at that. Charlie had nudged Santana in the ribs once more just as the flash went off so Santana’s face was more of a scowl then anything with Charlie’s eyes cast to the side glaring at her. Quinn and Rachel, though, they had put on their best smiles. One of the perfect head cheerleader and one of the Broadway bound starlet. They looked perfect together.

“Can we go now?” Santana mumbled once the picture was taken.

“Just one more thing” LeRoy said, holding up a hand to stop them from leaving. “Hiram and I know we are not your parents but that does not mean we have not grown to love you over the past six months. We care for all you girls like you are our own and we want to make sure you have a safe night. So, please, don’t drink the punch if it smells funny, don’t take any pills that are brightly colored, and most importantly don’t feel pressured to give into any teenage cliché that you might feel you need to in order to be liked by your peers.”

A few of the girls shared curious glances and when it was obvious they didn’t quite get the last reference, Hiram stepped up “Girls, I know you have seen enough movies involving high school dances to know what is expected tonight. I am here to let you know that those are just movies. There are plenty of couples who go to the dances, have a great time, and come home with their innocence still intact.”

“Oh I’m out of this conversation” Dana said with a laugh, lifting her hands in surrender before stepping backwards and motioning for Brittany to follow. When she saw LeRoy about to protest, she put her hand out to stop him with a smile “No disrespect Mr. B but that ship sailed a long time ago for me and Brit. Like, within a week.” She smirked and looked at Brittany with a nod “So we will go wait in the car.”

Santana rolled her eyes. Now that Dana had said that, she understood too. She bit her lip and looked at her feet as the girls left. When Hiram asked if any of the other girls wanted to opt out of this conversation due to the fact it was too late, she stayed put for one simple reason. Charlie still qualified.

“Good” Hiram looked pleased when no one else left. “Now, as I was saying, there are clichés that you might feel you must live up to tonight. Please know that you do not. Plenty of teenagers have a great time at dances and keep all of their clothes on.”

“Oh my god” Rachel mumbled, blushing bright enough pink to match her dress, and turning her head to hide her face against Quinn’s shoulder. That didn’t offer much relief, though. Quinn was just about as pink and her body was completely stiff. Charlie, too, was blushing and looked anywhere but at the dads.

Santana finally took a deep breath and rolled her eyes, looking up at the men “We got it” Santana said with a smile “And trust me I think it’s safe to say that you don’t have to worry about that tonight. These are good girls here and I am pretty sure none of them are racing to lose their virginities in the most cliché, totally predictable, lame way in all the history of losing virginities. So no worries, boys.”

“Santana” Rachel hissed at the girl then looked back at her feet “Don’t talk to my dads that way!”

“What way?” Santana shrugged “I was respectful and put their fears to rest. Just because you are too frigid to say the word virgin or any variation of it doesn’t mean I am.”

“We get it” Hiram said quickly. He had started to blush too. “And thank you, Santana. We are glad to hear it.” He turned and looked at LeRoy and gave him a wide eyed nod of his head as if telling him to end this torture now.

“Well if we are all agreed!” LeRoy said with a smile “You girls have fun.” He headed to the door and opened it quickly. He could see Dana and Brittany singing along to something in the front seat of the Fabray SUV and smiled before looking at the girls and motioning them out “Better hurry before Santana eats our baby.”

“Thank you” Santana grumbled and grabbed Charlie’s hand, tugging her out of the house and toward the vehicle.

As Quinn and Rachel followed, LeRoy put a hand on Quinn’s shoulder and gave her a smile “May I have a word?”

“Dad” Rachel frowned, shaking her head “Do you have to?”

“I would if she were a boy taking my baby to a dance. It is only fair I don’t show discrimination.”

Rachel sighed and gave Quinn an apologetic look before she turned and headed to get in the back of the SUV.  LeRoy waited until she was inside the car before turning and looking at Quinn “How are you?”

Quinn perked an eyebrow at that. She had not at all expected that to come from his mouth. She was sure she was about to have her life threatened. When she saw his soft gaze on her, though, she just nodded “Alright. Really nervous about tonight.”

“You’ll be fine. And your mother?”

Quinn looked at her feet and shrugged “She has stopped threatening to kick us out if we didn’t keep our hands to ourselves. She still says we are going through a phase and when we come out of it we will be lucky if she has stuck by us.” She looked up now and sighed “But she cries less at night so that’s good.”

“She’s on her way. Just be patient with her, alright?” LeRoy leaned down and placed a kiss against Quinn’s brow and smiled “It took my mother four years to acknowledge Hiram by his name but she did, eventually, and it was an amazing day. Just remember that, alright?” He put a hand on her back and looked out to the other girls waiting and nodded “Now go on. Have a good night and pretend I threatened your life, okay?”

Quinn let out a relieved laugh and gave LeRoy a quick hug before she made her way across the yard and climbed into the back seat next to Rachel. As soon as her seatbelt was snapped into place, Dana put the engine in drive and they were off to Breadstix.

Rachel reached over and slid her fingers through Quinn’s giving her a smile “He wasn’t too hard on you, was he?”

“No” Quinn glanced up to her with a smile “I think he might actually like me.”

“I told you” Rachel said with a laugh, leaning over to kiss her cheek. The girls settled back and Rachel watched Quinn as the shadows in the car shifted as they moved through the city. She caught the look on her face after a moment and frowned, lifting her hand now to touch at Quinn’s cheek “What’s the matter?”

Quinn just shrugged and looked at Rachel now with a pout “You haven’t told me if you like my dress or not.”

“Oh” Rachel said with a soft laugh, nodding her head quickly “I’m so sorry! Everything just happened so quickly. Plus I was a little speechless from your stunning decent down the steps to form words right away.”

“Now you’re just saying that” Quinn said with a roll of her eyes.

“I am not” Rachel said with a shake of her head, reaching to grab Quinn’s hand again. She took a deep breath and caught Quinn’s eyes in the streetlights that lit up the cab at a stoplight. “You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever met.”

“I know” Quinn said with a smile before leaning in to touch a light kiss against Rachel’s mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (There is a sequel to this story. The title is Three Words Haunt Me Now. If you liked this story check it out!)


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